Placental Pathology, An Issue of Surgical Pathology Clinics

Book excerpt: Obstetricical care and the growing number of pregnancies in older women or medically challenged women creates an expanding need for placental pathology that can provide information on neonatal care, risk assessment, and infant and mother outcomes. In the Surgical Pathology Clinics, Essential Gross Examination of the Placenta is presented with an abundance of images along with clear steps in the examination. Also presented are Placenta Accreta and Percreta; Ascending Infection – Acute Chorioamnionitis; Maternal Floor Infarction and Massive Perivillous Fibrin Deposition. Additionally, Umbilical Cord Pathology, Monozygotic Twinning, and Fetal Thrombotic Vasculopathy, Neonatal Stroke and other sequelae are discussed. Each of the topics presents abundant clinical photos and histology slides supporting diagnosis. Editor Rebecca Baergen, whose specialty areas are fetal pathology, placental pathology, gynecology and perinatal pathology, leads a group of authors who are experts in placental pathology, including her mentor and one of the pioneers in placental and perinatal pathology, Dr. Kurt Benirschke.