Placenta
Nonneoplastic placental conditions and abnormalities
Noninfectious
Chronic histiocytic intervillositis
Author: Mandolin S. Ziadie, M.D.
Last author update: 1 September 2011
Last staff update: 29 October 2020
Copyright: 2002-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Chronic intervillositis OR massive chronic intervillositis
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Positive stains | Negative stainsCite this page: Ziadie MS. Chronic histiocytic intervillositis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/placentachronicintervillositis.html. Accessed May 30th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Diffuse histiocytic infiltrate in intervillous space
- Associated with perinatal mortality of 80%, making it an important (although uncommon) cause of recurrent spontaneous abortion (Arch Pathol Lab Med 1993;117:1032, Hum Pathol 2000;31:1389)
- Maternal risk factors: diabetes, hypertension, intravenous drug abuse, preeclampsia and systemic lupus erythematosus; may have immunologic origin (IgM and complement deposits are seen in vascular lesions)
- High recurrence rate (67%)
- Associated with recurrent abortion (Hum Pathol 1995;26:1245), growth restriction (Am J Surg Pathol 1998;22:1006, Hum Pathol 2001;32:1022) and fetal death
Gross description
- Small placenta
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Diffuse infiltrate of histiocytes within intervillous space with villous fibrinoid deposits
- Other associated lesions may include atherosis, acute chorioamnionitis and rarely chronic villitis
- Malaria: associated with abundant fibrin, black pigment, occasional neutrophils and parasite laden red blood cells
Positive stains
- CD68 (histiocytic marker)
Negative stains
- hCG (may be present in syncytiotrophoblasts but marked reduction compared to usual)
