Enterovirus associated placental morphology: a light, virological, electron microscopic and immunohistologic study

The purpose of this study was to identify the possible effect of enteroviruses on placental tissue. Seventy-eight pregnant women were studied throughout their pregnancy: enteroviral infection was detected by faecal viral isolation and seric neutralization of previously identified virus in cell culture. In 19 cases of confirmed maternal infection, placentae were examined grossly, by optical microscopy, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic methods. Ten term placentae from women included in the study, with no clinical, serological or virological evidence of enteroviral infection, were used as control, and examined by gross and optical microscopy. In 17 specimens (echovirus-coxsackievirus) an haematogenous placentitis was suspected on the basis of gross observation. Microscopic lesions were similar to those found in other viral infections, with specific features. The nature of the inflammatory reaction pointed to the presence of an acute type of haematogenous placentitis, not present in placentae of the control group. The authors (AA) comment on the results and present the hypotheses about the available data: (1) maternal enteroviremia and faecal virus shedding without placental invasion, placentary damage being an unspecific consequence of infection; (2) direct virus-induced injury is not the only possible cause for the lesions: (3) placental enteroviral infection occurred with placental pathology but the virus did not cross the organ as the newborn had no signs of infection.