Background: Fetal death (stillbirth), that occurs every 100-200 pregnancies in industrialized countries, has not significantly decreased in recent years, mostly because of scarce research activities in this field. Fetal death is often, in up to 60-80% of cases, unexplainable, even after routine diagnostic examinations. Objectives: This work aims to stress the importance of in-depth histopathological investigations of both the autonomic nervous system and the placenta, in sudden fetal death. Methods: In a case of late fetal death at 40+3 weeks of pregnancy an in-depth histopathological examination of the brainstem and of the placenta was performed. Results: The case investigated in this work showed severe hypoplasia of the arcuate nucleus as well as of the reticular formation and particularly of the pre-Bötzinger complex. Pulmonary hypoplasia was also present, associated with a picture of severe (grade 3) chorioamnionitis, with inflammatory, mostly granulocytic, infiltrate, vasculitis of the umbilical vein and amniochorionic vessels. Conclusions: The chorioamnionitis can allegedly contribute to stillbirth, through cytokine release, enhancing any chemoreceptor neuronal dysfunction.
Chorioamnionitis and congenital abnormalities of the brainstem (arcuate nucleus and pre-Bötzinger complex hypoplasia) in a case of late unexplained stillbirth / R. Mingrone, E. Fulcheri, A.M. Lavezzi, L. Matturri. - In: THE OPEN PATHOLOGY JOURNAL. - ISSN 1874-3757. - 2:1(2008), pp. 24-27. [10.2174/1874375700802010024]
Chorioamnionitis and congenital abnormalities of the brainstem (arcuate nucleus and pre-Bötzinger complex hypoplasia) in a case of late unexplained stillbirth
R. MingronePrimo
;A.M. LavezziPenultimo
;L. MatturriUltimo
2008
Abstract
Background: Fetal death (stillbirth), that occurs every 100-200 pregnancies in industrialized countries, has not significantly decreased in recent years, mostly because of scarce research activities in this field. Fetal death is often, in up to 60-80% of cases, unexplainable, even after routine diagnostic examinations. Objectives: This work aims to stress the importance of in-depth histopathological investigations of both the autonomic nervous system and the placenta, in sudden fetal death. Methods: In a case of late fetal death at 40+3 weeks of pregnancy an in-depth histopathological examination of the brainstem and of the placenta was performed. Results: The case investigated in this work showed severe hypoplasia of the arcuate nucleus as well as of the reticular formation and particularly of the pre-Bötzinger complex. Pulmonary hypoplasia was also present, associated with a picture of severe (grade 3) chorioamnionitis, with inflammatory, mostly granulocytic, infiltrate, vasculitis of the umbilical vein and amniochorionic vessels. Conclusions: The chorioamnionitis can allegedly contribute to stillbirth, through cytokine release, enhancing any chemoreceptor neuronal dysfunction.Pubblicazioni consigliate
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.