Placental infiltration in congenital neuroblastoma: a case study with ultrastructure

Examination of a large, oedematous placenta of a still-born infant showed an extensive infiltration of chorionic villi by malignant cells; the nature of these was not apparent by light microscopy. Ultrastructural examination of these cells showed the presence of cytoplasmic granules whose size and appearance were consistent with those characteristically present in neuroblastomas. Whereas no necropsy was carried out on the still-born infant, it may be assumed, in keeping with the available data, that the placental metastases were derived from a congenital neuroblastoma. Infiltration of the villous stroma by metastatic neuroblastoma observed in the present case was not reported previously as in all other known instances the metastatic neuroblastomatous cells were confined to the lumina of the chorionic vessels.