It is now recognized that defective placentation in the human is a cause of many pregnancy complications, such as spontaneous abortion, preterm labor and delivery, pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, fetal death and abruptio placenta. These clinical disorders can often have long-term consequences into adulthood, causing cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes for the newborn as well as an increased risk of premature death in the mother. This is the first book to be entirely focused on the placental bed, bringing together the results of basic and clinical research in cell biology, immunology, endocrinology, pathology, genetics and imaging to consolidate in a single, informative source for investigators and clinicians. Its core aim is to explore new approaches and improve current clinical practice. This is essential reading for clinicians in obstetric, cardiovascular and reproductive medicine.

"The role of the placental bed in normal pregnancy and its complications has been intensively investigated for 50 years, following the introduction of a technique for placental bed biopsy. It is now recognized that disorders of the maternal-fetal interface in humans have been implicated in a broad range of pathologic conditions, including spontaneous abortion, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, abruptio placentae and fetal death"--Provided by publisher.

"The role of the placental bed in normal pregnancy and its complications has been intensively investigated for 50 years, following the introduction of a technique for placental bed biopsy. It is now recognized that disorders of the maternal-fetal interface in humans have been implicated in a broad range of pathologic conditions, including spontaneous abortion, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, abruptio placentae and fetal death"--Provided by publisher.

The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall, thereby allowing nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply. Proper vascular development in the placenta is fundamental to ensuring a healthy fetus and successful pregnancy. This book provides an up-to-date summary and synthesis of knowledge regarding placental vascular biology and discusses the relevance of this vascular bed to the functions of the human placenta.

Abnormal placental adhesive disorders are associated to massive hemorrhage and high maternal morbidity and mortality. The main risk factor for abnormal invasive placentation is the repeated cesarean, although other factors were identified. There are specific techniques to provide a high confidence diagnosis. However, precise skills must be acquired to recognize detailed diagnostic signs, to avoid common technical mistakes, and also to know when, how and why it is necessary to use each of them. Presurgical study provides diagnosis, extension and compromise of neighboring structures such as the bladder or the parametrium. Knowledge of placental invasion extension is needed to plan any resective surgery such as hysterectomy or one-step conservative surgery. Due to the fact that topography of the invaded area has direct relation with the specific arterial pedicles, a map of the invasion is required to know which type of proximal vascular control can be more effective. Leaving the placenta in situ seems to be the best option when resources or a skilled team are not available, but it requires intensive postoperative controls to detect infection, bleeding or coagulation disorders. Hysterectomy can be an easy solution for non-experimented operators; however, it is usually a very complicated procedure with demonstrated morbidity and mortality due to hemodynamic and hemostatic problems. This book gathers the latest knowledge in relation with the etiology, diagnosis, treatment and also the authors personal experience in more than 500 cases. All aspects of this condition have been analyzed to provide an accurate management, which includes vascular control, urology, anesthesia and hemodynamic management among others.

Now in its third edition, this "benchside" reference provides you with a structured diagnostic approach to the features of the placenta most commonly encountered in the investigation of adverse fetal outcomes. Inside, you'll find detailed disussions on cytogenetics and molecular biology as well as the latest developments in coagulopathy, infections, chorioamnionitis, preeclampsia, trophoblastic disease, and twin pregnancies among others. Plus, a new format facilitates information retrieval and new color clinical and pathologic images help you recognize and disagnose lesions better than ever. Access the most authoritative and effective diagnostic help with step-by-step guidance on placental examination techniques. Get the clinical information you need without superfluous details. Create better reports or prepare for exams with comprehensive coverage of all benign and malignant disorders of placental abnormalities. Increase your diagnostic acumen with new and expanded topics such as apoptosis in the normal and pathological placenta, pathogenesis of miscarrage, placental infections (especially malaria and HIV), chorioanmionitis with special reference to its role in cerebral palsy, preeclampsia, gestational trophoblastic disease, medico-legal aspects of the placenta, and much more. Perform a complete diagnostic workup with detailed coverage of molecular biology, immunohistochemisrty, and cytogenetics. Diagnose confidently with the addition of full-color images throughout. Find the the information you need quickly thanks to a new user-friendly format, including bullet points, summary tables, and take-home messages.

Pathophysiology of Gestation, Volume II: Fetal-Placental Disorders covers important areas of reproduction such as maternal-fetal interrelationship, biochemistry and physiology of the fetoplacental unit, and use of amniotic fluid constituents as diagnostic tools for fetal well-being. This book is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the disorders of placental transfer, clearly illustrating the physical and biochemical processes involved in placental exchanges between mother and fetus. The second chapter is devoted to disorders of placental endocrine functions. The various methods used for studying placental hormone production and the errors in analysis and interpretation of the results are also elaborated. The pathophysiology of amniotic fluid disorders is discussed in Chapter 3, while the genetic factors affecting growth and development from the gamete stage through fertilization and organ formation are described in Chapter 4. The last chapter considers the teratologic impact of the environmental factors on fetal growth and development. This volume is valuable to medical students and individuals concerned with the disorders of the maternal-fetal interrelationship.