[Histomorphometric study of the placenta in intrauterine growth retardation]

Histomorphometric study was made in 22 placentas of intrauterine growth retardation by measuring the proportion of the parenchyma to nonparenchymal tissue, villi components as well as their surface areas and also villi capillaries in the placentas. The results were compared with 20 placentas from the control patient with normal fetal weight. The ratios of parenchymal tissue, absolute villi component and surface area values, villi capillaries in the placentas of IUGR were significantly smaller than those in the control group. It shows that quantitative analysis of the morphometry might serve as an important tool to investigate the change of transference function occurring in IUGR placenta. We postulate that the development of IUGR is related to smaller functional structure in the placenta.