Follow-up and management of recurrent pregnancy losses due to massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition.

Massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition is a rare placental pathology associated with significant adverse pregnancy outcome and can recur. We provide a detailed case review of a woman through 10 of her pregnancies, including 8 consecutive pregnancy losses and 2 live births. We also conducted a retrospective chart review of all massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition placenta specimens at our institution over an eight-year period. A total of 42 cases of massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition were identified from 2007 to 2015, yielding an incidence of 0.16%. Recurrence was seen in subsequent pregnancy in eight out of nine (88.9%) cases with more than one specimen. The clinical characteristics, perinatal outcomes and α-feto protein level of the 42 cases are presented. Also, presented is a review of the literature discussing placental pathology, pathogenetic mechanisms and management of this condition.

Perinatal Mortality Associated with Positive Postmortem Cultures for Common Oral Flora.

Introduction. To investigate whether maternal oral flora might be involved in intrauterine infection and subsequent stillbirth or neonatal death and could therefore be detected in fetal and neonatal postmortem bacterial cultures. Methods. This retrospective study of postmortem examinations from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2010 was searched for bacterial cultures positive for common oral flora from heart blood or lung tissue. Maternal age, gestational age, age at neonatal death, and placental and fetal/neonatal histopathological findings were collected. Results. During the study period 1197 postmortem examinations (861 stillbirths and 336 neonatal deaths) were performed in our hospital with gestational ages ranging from 13 to 40+ weeks. Cultures positive for oral flora were identified in 24 autopsies including 20 pure and 8 mixed growths (26/227, 11.5%), found in 16 stillbirths and 8 neonates. Microscopic examinations of these 16 stillbirths revealed 8 with features of infection and inflammation in fetus and placenta. The 7 neonatal deaths within 72 hours after birth grew 6 pure isolates and 1 mixed, and 6 correlated with fetal and placental inflammation. Conclusions. Pure isolates of oral flora with histological evidence of inflammation/infection in the placenta and fetus or infant suggest a strong association between maternal periodontal conditions and perinatal death.

Placental findings in feto-maternal hemorrhage in livebirth and stillbirth.

Feto-maternal hemorrhage (FMH) is not an uncommon event during pregnancy with important clinical implications for both maternal and fetal outcomes. The diagnosis is often made using Kleihauer-Betke (KB) test. As FMH occurs transplacentally, examination of the placenta may contribute to the diagnosis of FMH. This retrospective case-control study aims to examine the placental features associated FMH in patients with known positive KB test results. When compared with KB negative placentas (n=88), KB positive placentas (n=49) had significantly higher incidence of pallor (6/49 vs 0/88, p=0.0017), IVT (11/49 vs. 5/88, p=0.0032) and nRBCs (12/49 vs. 4/88, p=0.0008). Autopsy cases with fetal or neonatal death due to FMH, (n=13) compared to a cohort of 162 placentas associated with other, non-FMH causes of death also had significantly higher frequency of pallor (5/13 vs 0/162, p<0.0001), IVT (6/13 vs 24/162, p=0.011) and nRBCs (11/13 vs 67/162, p=0.003). Pallor and nRBC were also associated with higher volume of FMH. Placental parenchymal pallor, intervillous thrombi and presence of nRBCs are significantly associated with documented FMH in both normal pregnancies and pregnancies associated with fetal or neonatal death. The presence of these findings, especially in combination, may suggest the need for maternal KB testing to rule out FMH and neonatal monitoring and/or intervention.

Blood Level of Inter-Alpha Inhibitor Proteins Distinguishes Necrotizing Enterocolitis From Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation.

OBJECTIVE: To examine circulating levels of inter-alpha inhibitor protein (IaIp) in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP), and matched controls to assess the diagnostic accuracy of IaIp to differentiate NEC from SIP and to compare receiver operating characteristics of IaIp for NEC with C-reactive protein (CRP). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, nested case-control study of infants with feeding intolerance was carried out. Blood and clinical data were collected from 27 infants diagnosed with NEC or SIP and from 26 matched controls admitted to our unit. Infants with modified Bell criteria stage 2 or greater were included as NEC. Clinical, radiologic, and/or surgical findings were used to identify infants with SIP. Controls were matched for gestational age, postnatal age, sex, and birth weight. RESULTS: Mean ± SD IaIp blood levels were 147 ± 38 mg/L, 276 ± 67 mg/L, and 330 ± 100 mg/L in infants with NEC, SIP, and matched controls, respectively (P < .004 and P < .01). Receiver operating characteristics analysis to establish the predictive value of NEC demonstrated areas under curve of 0.98 and 0.63 for IaIp and CRP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IaIp levels were significantly decreased in infants with NEC compared with SIP and matched controls. The diagnostic accuracy of IaIp for NEC was superior to that of CRP.