Background: Intra uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common pregnancy complication, pre-eclamsia (PE) is an important
cause of this complication and is responsible for maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Idiopathic intrauterine growth
restriction without obvious causes is not uncommon.
Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the placental histology in both conditions trying to find specific criteria for each
disorder.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on three groups; group I was the control group, group II was preeclampsia
induced IUGR (PE-IUGR) group and group III was idiopathic IUGR (I-IUGR). Each group contained 15 placentas. Placental
specimens from each group were analyzed histopathologically and immunohistochemically.
Results: we found that PE-IUGR and I-IUGR cases in this study share common histological changes suggesting a similar
pathogenesis. Maternal mal-perfusion lesions predominated in PE-IUGR. Findings consistent with fetal vascular malperfusion
were higher in I-IUGR. Hofbauer cells (HBC) were increased in both PE-IUGR and I-IUGR.
Conclusion: abnormal utero-placental blood vessels and utero-placental insufficiency and the resulting histological changes in
the chorionic villi, and chronic inflammatory lesions may be the primary disease processes related to the placental pathology
of PE-IUGR and I-IUGR.