Abstract

Background: The term placenta means flat cake in Latin. The placenta is defined as a fusion of the fetal membranes to the uterine wall. Gross and microscopic examination of placenta is generally not indicated in uneventful pregnancies and deliveries. According to College of American Pathologists criteria, the gross and microscopic examination of placenta is indicated in certain maternal, fetal and placental conditions which may govern the outcome of the next pregnancy and diagnosis  of which may prevent fetal loss and maternal complications in next pregnancy . Normally placenta should consist of single round to ovoid disc with no accessory lobes, with a shiny surface and membranes should insert at the margin of the disc. Umbilical cord should contain two arteries and one vein.
Light microscopic features of a normal placenta in third trimester include relatively more number of small sized villi and there should not be any stromal cell hypercellularity or increased syncytial knots or edema
Material and Methods: 24 samples of placenta from women in the reproductive age group with complicated  pregnancies received in the department of Pathology, grossly  examined and routinely processed and stained with H&E stain.
Results: It shows that maximum cases 13(56.52%) were of fetal growth retardation followed by premature delivery 4(17.39%) then eclampsia/preeclampsia/help syndrome were 3(13.04%), postdated delivery 2( 8.69%) and IUD and gestational  diabetes/preexistent diabetes mellitus were 1 (4.34%)
Occlusion: Morphological and histological changes are observed in placenta of complicated pregnancies in comparison to the normal uneventful term pregnancy. Some of which are similar in different cases and some were observed differently.