[Clinical study on pathologic changes of umbilical cord vessels in pregnancy induced hypertension]

To evaluate the relationship between the pathologic features of umbilical cord vessels and the severity of disease in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).

The umbilical cord vessels of forty-five women with PIH and thirty normal term-pregnant women (control group) were observed under light microscopy; the three parts of cord i.e. near placenta, near fetus and middle section of twenty women with PIH selected randomly were observed as well.

There were no different pathologic changes in the 3 parts of umbilical cord in PIH; Forty-five women with PIH were categorized into three groups according to the degree of lesions: no lesion (n = 6), mild (n = 13) and severe (n = 26). The pathologic changes of umbilical vessels in moderate and severe PIH were more severe than those in mild PIH (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). However, there were no apparent pathologic changes in the control. The pathologic changes of umbilical vessels in PIH had significant relationship with mean arterial pressure (MAP), neonatal outcome and urinary protein.

The pathologic changes of umbilical vessels can reflect the characteristic lesion of PIH and are parallel with the severity of disease; and there is a homogeneity in pathomorphology of umbilical cord.