Intérêt de l'examen anatomopathologique du placenta

The macroscopic and histopathological examination of the placenta may provide crucial information in intra uterine growth reduction (IUGR). The most frequent cause is of vascular origin which requires clinical and biological tests to diagnose maternal disease and to prevent recurrences. An other frequent cause is a chronic villositis whose origin sometimes remains unknown. We list the indication to examine the placenta and illustrate these pathologies by two cases with macroscopic, histologic and immunohistochemical data.