Association of histologic features and cytogenetic abnormalities in ectopic pregnancies

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between specific histologic features and cytogenetic abnormalities in ectopic pregnancies. DESIGN: Blinded histologic analysis. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(s): Fifty-four patients with ectopic pregnancy for whom successful karyotypes and sufficient histologic material were available. INTERVENTION(s): Histologic evaluation of chorionic villi from ectopic pregnancies was done by two pathologists who were unaware of the cytogenetic outcome. Seventeen histologic features were evaluated: villus size, villus contour, ghost villi, hydropic villi, trophoblastic hyperplasia, trophoblastic hypoplasia, syncytial knots, Hofbauer cells, blood vessels, trophoblastic lacunae, trophoblastic inclusions or cisterns, degeneration, fibrohyalinization, microcalcifications, and perivillous and intervillous fibrin deposits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(s): The association between histopathologic features and cytogenetic outcome. RESULT(s): The presence of ghost villi and intervillous or perivillous fibrin was found to be associated with cytogenetic abnormalities. These features are associated with previous fetal cell death. CONCLUSION(s): This study does not support an association between specific histologic features of chorionic villi and cytogenetic abnormalities in ectopic pregnancies. The only histologic features that were associated with cytogenetic abnormalities (i.e., ghost villi and intervillous and perivillous fibrin) are merely a result of previous fetal cell death