Histopathology of placental villi of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5575-8148
Leopoldo Garcés Villabón
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2437-4536
Sandra Patricia Hermann
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7822-2429
Yhoiss Smiht Muñoz Cerón
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8464-8941
María Carolina Pustovrh
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2909-1941
Liliana Salazar Monsalve
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3087-8493
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 infection, which causes COVID-19, affects the human population indiscriminately; the prevalence for women is close to 50%. The routes of perinatal transmission and the effects that this disease has on the placenta are not yet clear.
Objective: To histopathologically evaluate placental villi from Covid + mother with severe ARDS and non-severe pre-eclampsia at 27 weeks of gestation.
Materials and methods: Descriptive study. After signing the informed consent, a placental sample of 3 cm3 was obtained. After fixation with 10% formalin buffer for five days, it was embedded in paraffin, cut at 4 microns, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Image acquisition was performed with a Leica DM750 microscope.
Results: Abundant mesenchymal villi were found, indicating villous immaturity for gestational age; fetal vessel congestion, perivillous and intervillous fibrin deposits, foci of fibrinoid and hemorrhagic necrosis, mild mixed inflammatory infiltration, calcifications, and occasional nucleated erythrocytes.
Conclusions: Infection by 2019-nCoV and the systemic damage that this disease caused in the mother, impacted the maturation of villi, with evidence of hypoxia and alterations in chorionic vessels.
Conflict of interest: None
SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus disease 2019, Placenta, gestationSARS-CoV-2, enfermedad coronavirus 2019, placenta, gestación
1. Alberca RW, Pereira NZ, Oliveira LMDS, Gozzi-Silva SC, Sato MN. Pregnancy, Viral Infection, and COVID-19. Front Immunol. 2020; 11:1–12.
2. Baergen RN, Heller DS. Placental Pathology in Covid-19 Positive Mothers: Preliminary Findings. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2020;23(3):177–80.
3. Shanes ED, Mithal LB, Otero S, Azad HA, Miller ES, Goldstein JA. Placental Pathology in COVID-19. Am J Clin Pathol. 2020;154(1):23–32.
4. Vivanti AJ, Vauloup-Fellous C, Prevot S, Zupan V, Suffee C, Do Cao J, et al. Transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Commun [Internet]. 2020;11(1):1–7.