Histopatological Changes in Plasenta Previa, Plasenta Acreata and Normotensive Plasentas in the 3rd Trimestry of Pregnancy

Introduction: One of the consequences of improper placentation is placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta is located on or near the internal cervical os. This condition is the major cause of bleeding in the last trimester of pregnancy. It is one of the causes of both maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Placenta accreta is a disorder caused by abnormal invasion of the placental villi into the myometrium. In this study, we aimed to compare the histopathologic changes in placenta previa, placenta acreata and normotensive placentas during the third trimester of pregnancy. Materials and methods: In our study, placentas of a total of 60 pregnant women including 20 placenta previa, 20 placenta acreata and 20 normotensive pregnant women were used and the placentas were compared histopathologically. Results: In the control group placentas, the appearance of endothelial cells was normal, with a slight distribution of erythrocytes in the intervillous areas. Fibrinoid structures were observed to be smooth. Dysfunctional development of endothelial cells was observed in the sections of the placenta acreata group.  Congestion and edema were observed in the vessels and degeneration was detected in the cells in the syncytial region. In placenta previa sections, muscle cells showed prominent pyknotic nucleus structures.  Dilatations and fibronoid structures were seen in the vessels. Dense erythrocyte accumulation was detected in the intervillous areas. Conclusion: In our study, we concluded that placenta previa and placenta accreta cause very serious degenerations on the placentas. Keywords: Placenta, Placenta Previa, Plasenta Acreata, histopatology