Publication:

Placenta in pregnancy induced hypertension

Background Placenta is a predictor of outcome of pregnancy. Placental examination holds an important role in improving outcome of pregnancy. It is strategically located at feto-maternal interface and it acts like a record of pregnancy in which the cumulative effects of pregnancy related events and changes reflecting the intrauterine environment can be scrutinized. Objective of present study was to diagnose presence, if at all, of lesions of placenta and their nature in cases of pregnancy induced hypertension specifically in 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy and to classify the lesions based on clinical presentation and to compare the results.

Methods This study is based on histopathological examination of placenta in cases of PIH over a period of three years, from May 2011 to April 2014. The study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital.

Results There were 280 (19.4%) cases of PIH amongst a total of 1440 cases. In these 280, 170 (60.72%) cases had severe PIH, 110 (39.28%) cases had mild PIH. Also, 180 (16.28%) cases revealed increased morbidity and mortality.

Conclusions Evaluation of placenta is an extremely important predictor, that helps to improve the outcome of pregnancy.