Placental chorioangioma

Chorioangioma is an expansile nodular lesion composed of capillary vascular channels, intervening stroma cells, and surrounding trophoblast. It is analogous to hemangioma at other body sites. Chorioangiomas are the most common placental tumors and are thought to be hamartomatous malformations. We present the case of a 22-year-old unbooked Para 3 + 0 at 32 weeks gestation who presented with history of premature rupture of membrane to the gynecology emergency clinic. Abdominopelvic ultrasound scan revealed polyhydramnios, no fetal cardiac activity, and suspected placenta cyst. She had stillbirth of male baby. The clinician made a provisional diagnosis of stillbirth with placental cyst with differential diagnosis of trophoblastic disease. The placental tissue revealed a fleshy nodular circumscribed lesion which is 10 cm × 6 cm × 4 cm in dimension, and microscopic examination led to the diagnosis of chorioangioma. Chorioangioma of the placenta, in a high-risk population, although small, is associated with significantly higher risk for preterm delivery; there is therefore need for regular color Doppler imaging for all obstetrics cases for prenatal differentiation between placental chorioangiomas and other nonvascular tumors and pathological examination of all placentas of patients with preterm delivery.