Incidence of acute atherosis in complete molar pregnancy

A clinicohistological study of acute atherosis in molar pregnancy was undertaken. Maternal decidual vessels in currettage samples of 38 histologically confirmed complete hydatidiform moles were examined histologically for acute atherosis, recognised as fibrinoid necrosis of the smooth muscle wall with a perivascular mononuclear cell infiltrate, with or without lipophages. Acute atherosis was detected in eight of 38 cases, an incidence of 18.4%. All the patients were normotensive. The significance of acute atherosis in molar pregnancy remains to be clarified.