Histological Features of Induced Abortion Products in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

The aim of this study was to determine the histological features of products of conception (POCs) collected through induced abortion procedures in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The study took place from March to May 2024 and covered a three-year period of sample collection starting from 2021 to 2023 at the Central Laboratory of Plateau. One hundred one paraffin-embedded POCs were recovered from the freezers, processed by a technician, and microscopically examined by an experienced pathologist. The data collection was based on the laboratory logs and the report from the pathologist. The average age of the women involved was 34.5 years. Voluntary termination of pregnancy was the most frequent occurrence (66.7%) for which surgical evacuation was performed (74.3%). The procedures recovered together maternal, fetal and placental tissues in 60.4% of the cases. Signs of a decidual reaction were observed in 61.8% of the cases indicating an intrauterine pregnancy. Whereas in the cases of extra-uterine pregnancies, ruptured uterine tubes were the majority (52.0%). The fetal tissues mainly showed signs of bullous dystrophic trophoblastic cells (50.0%). The placental tissues had irregular contours (51.3%) and variable size (67.5%). They were normotrophic (86.4%) but lacked the blood vessels needed for proper exchange between the embryo and the mother (78.3%). The microscopic examination concluded to an inflammation without clear signs of infections in more than one third of the POCs. Henceforth, an immunological and/or a microbiological monitoring of pregnancies could be helpful in this context.