Evaluation of placental vascularization in thrombophilia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)

The placenta is an essential organ in the proper development of pregnancy, and it can present a lot of structural and vascular lesions that can affect fetal development. One of the pathologies associated with pregnancy, which can change the placental structure is thrombophilia (TPh), and this can be correlated with an intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) of the fetus. Maternal clinical aspects (age, weight) can be correlated with fetal ones (weight, gender), but also with the structural and vascular aspect of the placenta. The placental structure associated with TPh and IUGR shows macroscopic changes, such as fibrin deposition, calcifications and placental infarctions, but microscopic lesions are best highlighted by classical staining techniques: Hematoxylin–Eosin (HE), Masson’s trichrome (MT) and Periodic Acid–Schiff (PAS)–Hematoxylin, but also by immunohistochemistry technique with the help of anti-cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34) antibody that could make it possible to quantify vascular density depending on the pathology. Microscopic changes were massive infarcts caused by vascular ischemia, intravenous and extravillous fibrin deposits, calcifications, and vascular thrombosis. All these clinical, morphological and morphopathological data are interconnected and may vary in the presence of TPh and IUGR.