Villitis of Unknown Etiology in the Placenta of a Pregnancy Complicated by COVID-19

Turk Patoloji Derg. 2021;37(2):167-171. doi: 10.5146/tjpath.2020.01506.

Abstract

Villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) is noninfectious chronic villitis thought to be associated with fetal growth restriction and stillbirth. COVID-19 and the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause an increased risk in pregnant women for potential maternal and fetal complications from an immunological mechanism. We report a 39-week-gestational-age infant delivered to a 37-year-old mother diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection at 37 weeks gestation. The placental examination showed the morphological features of VUE. We showed immunohistochemically that macrophages and CD4-positive T cells predominated in the villous tissue, although elevated numbers of CD8-positive cells were also present. We hypothesize that VUE may represent a maternal anti-viral immune response, in this case to SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19 / complications*
  • Chorionic Villi / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Inflammation
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / pathology*
  • SARS-CoV-2 / physiology*