The pathologic findings of the fetal membranes in very prolonged amniotic fluid leakage

We examined the fetal membranes in five patients with prolonged amniotic fluid leakage. Four patients had a clinical history of fluid leakage of at least six weeks' duration, while, in the fifth patient, prolonged leakage was only an inferred diagnosis. Four of the infants died within the first two days of life, while one infant survived. The pathologic findings were varied. Two cases showed, to our knowledge, a previously unreported subchorionic accumulation of squames, which were presumably from cells that were shed into amniotic fluid. One other case showed a subchorionic foreign-body reaction. The two remaining cases showed only necrosis and hemorrhage.