Congenital leukaemia: an unusual cause of stillbirth

Three cases of congenital leukaemia associated with hydrops and intrauterine death are described. The leukaemic infiltrates, which involved both the infants and the placentas, were of monocytic, lymphoblastic, and myeloblastic types, respectively. The general lack of recognition of the condition is probably due to inadequate histological examination of the stillborn infant and the placenta.