Placental microcirculation of intrauterine growth retarded fetuses: scanning electron microscopy of placental vascular casts

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the ultra structural difference of placentas in IUGR fetuses that were all found to have abnormal umbilical artery Doppler waveforms.

Methods: Nine placentas from 7 IUGR fetuses and 2 from healthy normal fetuses were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy.

Results: All of the placentas of IUGR fetuses who had abnormal umbilical artery Doppler flow antenatally were found to have a prominent increase in the amount of total blood vessels; these aberrant blood vessels had a very tortuous course and they showed increased branching when compared with placentas from uncomplicated term pregnancies.

Conclusions: Our study showed that there is a clear difference in vascular ultra structure of the placentas of pregnancies with fetal growth restriction selected by abnormal umbilical artery Doppler flow test. IUGR seems to be a problem due to placental vascular insufficiency.