Retained Placenta Accreta Mimicking Choriocarcinoma

Figure 5

Grossly retained placenta with microscopic evidence of placenta accreta. (a) Gross photograph of hysterectomy specimen bisected in coronal plane shows ~12 × 11 × 3 cm fundal placenta (outlined in dashed lines) with ~3.5 cm umbilical cord (outlined in solid lines) (arrows at cervical os, = leiomyoma). (b) Hematoxylin and eosin stained microscopic section demonstrates degenerating placental villous parenchyma [villi] adjacent to large bands of myometrial smooth muscle [myo] without intervening decidua [MA = maternal myometrial artery]. Scale bars: (a) 1 cm and (b) 100 microns. Note: due to extensive tissue degeneration at the placenta/myometrial interface, the depth of accreta could not be accurately determined on pathologic examination.

(a)

(b)