Morphological Changes in Placenta of Diabetic Women with Intrauterine Death

Original article

English

Sathi Devi Singh 1, Mabrouka M. Legnain 2, Hasna Mahdi Muttardi 3

1-Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Arab Medical University, Benghazi, S.P.L.A.J. 2-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Arab Medical University, Benghazi, S.P.L.A.J. 3-Department of Anatomy (Histology Unit), Faculty of Medicine, Al-Arab Medical University, Benghazi, S.P.L.A.J.

Garyounis Medical Journal Vol. 9, No.2. January 1986: 59-62

Abstract

A gross morphological study of 20 placentae of still birth fetuses in patients with diabetes mellitus was carried out. All selected placentae were from women who delivered within 24 hours of fetal death. Whereas the distribution of umbilical vessels on the chorionic plate (fetal surface), of normal placentas was regular and dichotomous, the diabetic still-birth placentas had short and narrow vessels with few and irregular divisions. It was also observed that the maternal surface of the diabetic placentae showed changes in the size and the number of cotyledons. Normal placentae have about 15 to 20 spherically shaped bulging lobes (cotyledons) whereas large flat masses of placental tissue were seen in the diabetic ones.
The shape, number and size of the cotyledons have a very important role in the normal, efficient functioning of the placenta. They ensure that a large surface area is available for maternal fetal exchange. Also the umbilical cords of the diabetic still-birth cases were swollen and edematous compared to normal and they had lost their typical spiral nature.
It is proposed that these gross morphological changes in the placenta may be an index of its functional impairment.

Keywords: Morphological Changes in Placenta of Diabetic Women with Intrauterine Death

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