Placental malaria

Placental malaria is recognized as a common complication of malaria in pregnancy in areas of stable transmission, is particularly frequent and severe in primigravidae. Many hypotheses, based on a systemic or local failure of the immunological response to malaria.

Placental malaria is characterized by the presence of parasites and leucocytes within the intervillous spaces, pigment within macrophages, fibrin deposits and trophoblasts, proliferation of cytotrophoblastic cells and thickening of the trophoblastic basement membrane.