Placental histopathological abnormalities and poor perinatal outcomes

Key content Examination of the placenta is important and must be correlated with the clinical conditions. Placental histology can yield valuable information in cases of adverse perinatal outcome. Information obtained from the placenta is vital to formulate an appropriate plan of care in subsequent pregnancy. Learning objectives To understand the correlation between placental histology and pregnancy outcome. To identify the clinical conditions that will benefit from placental histology. To understand the process of storing the placenta for different examination techniques. Ethical issues Should the placenta be sent for histology in all cases of growth restriction and stillbirth? Is it cost effective to undertake universal placental histology?