A placental infarction results from the interruption of
blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
Blood is com ...
supply to a part of the
placenta
The placenta (: placentas or placentae) is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas, and waste exchange between ...
, causing its
cells
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
* Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network
* Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization
* Electrochemical cell, a d ...
to
die
Die, as a verb, refers to death, the cessation of life.
Die may also refer to:
Games
* Die, singular of dice, small throwable objects used for producing random numbers
Manufacturing
* Die (integrated circuit), a rectangular piece of a semicondu ...
.
Small placental infarcts, especially at the edge of the placental disc, are considered to be normal at
term. Large placental infarcts are associated with vascular abnormalities, e.g.
hypertrophic decidual vasculopathy, as seen in
hypertension
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...
. Very large infarcts lead to placental insufficiency and may result in
fetal death
Perinatal mortality (PNM) is the death of a fetus or neonate and is the basis to calculate the perinatal mortality rate. ''Perinatal'' means "relating to the period starting a few weeks before birth and including the birth and a few weeks after bi ...
. Placental infarcts are generally detected after birth, although using ultrasound may be a way to notice infarcts prenatally. This method still needs more research and may not be completely effective in noticing infarcts.
Relation to maternal floor infarct
''Maternal floor infarcts'' are ''not'' considered to be true placental infarcts, as they result from deposition of
fibrin
Fibrin (also called Factor Ia) is a fibrous protein, fibrous, non-globular protein involved in the Coagulation, clotting of blood. It is formed by the action of the protease thrombin on fibrinogen, which causes it to polymerization, polymerize. ...
around the
chorionic villi
Chorionic villi are Wiktionary:villus, villi that sprout from the chorion to provide maximal contact area with maternal blood.
They are an essential element in pregnancy from a histology, histomorphologic perspective, and are, by definition, a pr ...
, i.e. perivillous fibrin deposition.
See also
*
Placental disease
References
External links
Gross pathology of a placental infarct (utah.edu)
Complications of labour and delivery
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