Histomorphological Changes of Placental Terminal Villi and Stem Villous Blood Vessel in Normotensive and Eclamptic Mothers

Context: The placenta is a vital organ through which mother and fetus come in close contact with eachother. The important component of the placenta is chorionic villi and it is fully dependent on maternal bloodflow for getting proper oxygen supply. In eclampsia, placental insufficiency results various placental villouschanges which may lead to adverse fetal outcome. Aim: The study was done to see the histomorphologicalchanges of placental terminal villi and stem villous blood vessels in the case of eclamptic mothers. Thesefindings will guide clinicians to adopt appropriate plans for treatment and management of subsequentpregnancies. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department ofAnatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, from January 2017 to December 2017. Seventy full-termplacentae (35 from normotensive and 35 from eclamptic mothers) were collected. After tissue processing,histomorphological changes were studied under a light microscope. Data were analyzed using the UnpairedStudent’s t-test. Result: Among normal pregnant and eclamptic mothers, the diameter of placental terminalvilli (70.17±3.34;50.19±3.29), the capillary of terminal villi (35.50±2.23;30.62±1.80), and luminaldiameter of stem villous blood vessel(33.63±3.95;15.63±3.67) respectively were significantly reduced incase of eclamptic mothers. Conclusion: The present study reveals significant differences in the diameter ofterminal villi and terminal villous capillaries in eclamptic mothers’ placentas. The luminal diameter of stemvillous blood vessels also showed a significant difference in the placenta of eclamptic mothers.