SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pregnancy: Clinical Signs, Placental Pathology, and Neonatal Outcome—Implications for Clinical Care

Abstract

Introduction: The current COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with high rates of mortality and significant morbidity. Both the risk of infection for pregnant women and the risk of vertical transmission have been evaluated, and the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been demonstrated both in the placenta and in the amniochorionic membranes. However, the actual effects of this pathogen on pregnancy and on placental morphology are still unclear.Objective: To describe histopathologic findings in the placentas of women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and their correlation with clinical signs and perinatal outcome.Methods: Placental tissues from pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection delivering between March 2020 and February 2021 were analyzed.Results: One hundred six placentas from women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy who delivered in Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli were examined. Most of them were asymptomatic. All neonates had available test results for SARS-CoV-2 and only one resulted positive. Placental tissues mainly showed signs of maternal vascular malperfusion and of placenta injury in terms of syncytial node increase (96.2%), villar agglutination (77.3%), neointimal hyperplasia (76.4%), excessive fibrin deposition (43.3%), and chorangiosis (35.8%). No significant differences in the frequency of the histopathological lesions were observed according to maternal symptoms.Conclusion: Looking to placental tissues from SARS-CoV-2 positive women at the screening performed close to delivery, placental injuries could be detected without any correlation with fetal and neonatal outcomes. We hypothesize that short latency between SARS-CoV-2 infection and delivery is the main reason for these observations.

COVID-19 and pregnancy: clinical outcomes; mechanisms, and vaccine efficacy

“…Histiocytic intervillositis, syncytial node enlargement, and increased fibrin deposition were all observed at higher rates in SARS-CoV-2 infected placentas, according to a retrospective study conducted in Italy. 132 As a whole, these studies point to a distinctive form of placentitis caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections, which causes extensive placental destruction and increases the risk to the developing fetus. The effect of the recent Omicron variant on pregnancy related complications remains to be determined in ensuing months…”

Placental Pathology After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Pre-Variant of Concern, Alpha / Gamma, Delta, or Omicron Eras

“… 9 , 10 Subsequent studies have varied from case reports or small case series to larger studies of around 100 placentas. 11 While some studies re-demonstrated FVM 12 or MVM, 11 others have not demonstrated any significant placental findings in women with SARS-CoV-2 infection. 13 A meta-analysis conducted in the summer of 2021 reported findings suggestive of placental hypoperfusion and inflammation in pregnancies complicated by SARS-CoV-2 infection, 14 while a more recent meta-analysis suggested that there are no typical placental findings.…”

Pregnancy and perinatal outcomes of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)

“…Серед доступних літературних джерел найбільше дослідження стану плаценти провели S. Moresi та співавт. [34] На відміну від вищевказаного, результати дослідження S. Moresi та співавт. [34] прямо корелювали з виявленими перинатальними ускладненнями.…”

“…[34] На відміну від вищевказаного, результати дослідження S. Moresi та співавт. [34] прямо корелювали з виявленими перинатальними ускладненнями. Такі порушення в плаценті, вочевидь, є наслідком системної запальної реакції та/або гіперкоагуляції, які патогенетично притаманні COVID-19.…”