Changes in placenta in Preeclampsia and Eclampsia -a study of 144 cases in rural Tripura

Dr Debashis Saha; Dr Sumana Ghosh; Dr Habibul Islam

Volume : V, Issue : IX, September - 2016

Changes in placenta in Preeclampsia and Eclampsia -a study of 144 cases in rural Tripura

Dr Debashis Saha, Dr Sumana Ghosh, Dr Habibul Islam

Abstract :

Background: Preeclampsia and eclampsia are the two leading cause of maternal mortality and are two important factors in fetal wastage. This study was designed to investigate the morphological and histopathological changes in placenta from pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia and eclampsia. Objectives: To study the morbid changes in placenta in cases of preeclampsia and eclampsia and to correlate the findings with normotensive mothers, because these changes serve as a guide to the duration and severity of disease. Materials and Methods: The study was done from November 2013 to April 2016 (21/2 yrs) in the rural hospitals of Tripura, mainly Sub divisional and District hospitals in collaboration with Dept of Pathology TMC and Dr BRAM Teaching Hospital on 144 placentas, out of which 70 were collected from normotensive mothers and the remaining 74 from preeclampsia and eclampsia cases. All the placentas were studied morphologically and histologically. The birth weight of neonates was recorded. Results: It was observed that weight and dimensions of placenta was less in study group when compared with control group. The mean neonatal birth weight was more in normal pregnancy and feto-placental weight ratio was significantly high in hypertensive group. Gross abnormalities noted were the placental infarcts, retroplacental hematoma, and calcification. Histopathological study showed significant number of syncitial knots , cytotrophoblastic proliferation , thickening of the villous basement memanes , fiinoid necrosis , hyalinization , calcification , endarteritis obliterans and decreased villous vascularity in preeclampsia and eclampsia group. Conclusions: These changes in placenta may cause placental insufficiency as a result of compromised utero-placental blood flow. Therefore has an adverse affect on the fetus. Preeclampsia and eclampsia have definite influence on morphology, histology of placenta, and thus affects the growth of the fetus. The gross abnormalities and villous lesions in the preeclampsia (P < 0.05) were significant and eclampsia syndrome (P > 0.05) were not significant.