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AN ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF UTERO‐PLACENTAL SPIRAL ARTERIES IN HYPERTENSIVE AND NORMOTENSIVE PREGNANCY AND FETAL GROWTH RETARDATION
Author(s) -
Sheppard B. L.,
Bonnar J.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1981.tb01268.x
Subject(s) - in utero , fetus , pregnancy , growth retardation , medicine , eclampsia , spiral artery , placenta , gestation , spiral (railway) , preeclampsia , obstetrics , endocrinology , biology , mathematical analysis , genetics , mathematics
Summary Uteroplacental spiral arteries in placental bed biopsies and placentas from 80 pregnancies were studied by light and electron microscopy; of these 30 were complicated by fetal growth retardation (less than 10th centile) and 45 by hypertension during pregnancy. The physiological changes of the spiral arteries and the vascular pathology present in hypertensive pregnancy and fetal growth retardation were investigated. In normotensive pregnancies complicated by fetal growth retardation, the physiological changes of pregnancy frequently did not extend beyond the decidual segments of the utero‐placental arteries. In pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia, the physiological changes of pregnancy were not always restricted to the decidual segments of the utero‐placental arteries. Athero‐matous‐like lesions of similar morphology were found in spiral arteries from both normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies complicated by fetal growth retardation. No arteriopathy was found which was specific for pre‐eclampsia.