General and Systemic Histopathology, C601&C602
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Look in the blood
clot or at the margin of the clot and decidualized endometrium for these bizarre
villi. You might want to compare these placental villi with those of
the first trimester miscarriage in slide 94. There is quite a difference.
Take note of the changes in the trophoblasts covering the villi. See this slide with the virtual microscope. |
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This is a higher power view of the trophoblastic element of this "molar pregnancy." Note the large and abnormally shaped villi with edematous cores. These villi are covered with atypical trophoblastic cells growing as a syncytium. You may see a mitotic figure or two, but on the whole, the degree of anaplasia is not nearly as great as seen in a choriocarcinoma, the highly aggressive malignant counterpart of this lesion. There will be some necrosis and inflammatory debris mixed with the blood clot, but for the most part this is well preserved and very representative. |