Comparison of Preeclamptic and Normal Placentas with Histopathological and Clinical Findings

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most important reasons leading to maternal, and neonate morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of PE has yet to be fully elucidated. Hypoperfusion, hypoxia and ischemia are the critical components in the etiopathogenesis of PE. Here, we aimed to investigate the association between chronic villitis, infarction, edema, calcification, chorangiosis, perivillous fibrin deposits, fibrosis in villi, syncytial knot increase, retroplacental detachment, average placental weight, age, gravity, parity, abortion, hemoglobin, platelet, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer and protein 24 levels, and the clinical results. MATERIAL and METHOD: With no significant differences in age, gravity, abortion and parity values, 91 pregnant women diagnosed with PE in the preeclamptic placentae in our pathology department between 2015 and 2018, and 92 normal healthy pregnant women were included as the study and the control groups. Patients and babies’ data were obtained from their files, and the laboratory data were obtained from the hospital automation records. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained preparations of the placentae were removed and re-evaluated from the archive. The data were analyzed by number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and correlation tests. Numeric variables were investigated by t test in independent groups whiler categorical data were assessed by chi-square test. Results with p<0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: As to age, gravity, parity, abortion, hemoglobin, platelet, LDH, D-dimer and protein 24 levels, no statistical difference was found between the study and control groups (p>0.05). Mean placental weight was 330.8±89 g and 431±59 g in the study and control groups. Retroplacental detachment was 7% in six cases (6/85) in the study group, while 1% in one case (1/92) in the controls. Mean gestational weeks were found as 33±3 and 38±1 weeks in the study and control groups. No statistically significant association was determined between the study and control groups for gravity, abortion, chorangiosis, villitis, edema, chorioamnionitis, calcification, perivillous fibrin and syncytial knot increase (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, there were some differences in placental histopathology of preeclamptic patients; the differences may be related to placental insufficiency. However, the absence of differences in various placental histopathological parameters also supports that every perinatal problem is not associated with a placental abnormality, nor is every placental pathology associated with a perinatal malfunction.