Placenta chorioangioma: a rare case and systematic review of literature

Placental chorioangioma is a relatively rare condition that often results in serious prenatal complications and adverse pregnancy outcome. We report a case of a large chorioangioma that was prenatally diagnosed at 23 weeks with polyhydramnios and fetal anemia. With prenatal monitoring, transplacental therapy with a COX-2 inhibitor and intrauterine transfusion, the pregnancy resulted in the live birth at 30 weeks. Due to the paucity of evidence relating to the management protocols in cases of placental chorioangiomas, we have conducted a systematic review of the literature.

All reported cases in the English language were captured using the electronic databases. Bibliographies of relevant articles were manually searched.

Sixty-four articles were included reporting 112 cases of placental chorioangioma. In 79, there was no prenatal treatment and in 33 there was in-utero treatment. A systematic comparison of antenatal complications and pregnancy outcomes was performed. No strong conclusion could be made due to the low number and quality of the reported cases.

Placenta chorioangioma represents a challenge with its potentially serious complications adversely affecting pregnancy outcome. An international registry of pregnancies with this rare complication and documentation of pregnancy outcomes will improve the evidence base for prospective management.