Publication date: Sep 11, 2025
The purpose of this study was to investigate placental pathology and cause of death (COD) in pregnancy losses associated with maternal COVID-19 infection and examine associations with detection of SARS-CoV-2 in placenta and fetal organs. Demographics, placental pathology, and COD information was collected from fetal autopsies done at Evanston hospital, IL between 03/1/2020 and 12/31/2022 where maternal history indicated positive SARS-CoV-2 test during pregnancy or SARS-CoV-2 infection was suspected after fetal autopsy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was performed on placenta, fetal liver, and lung tissue. We identified 13 autopsies and detected SARS-CoV-2 in placentas of 5 cases, all showed chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) and massive perivillous fibrin deposition (MPVFD). CHI and MPVFD were absent in all the PCR-negative cases (P
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Autopsy | autopsy |
| Evanston | chronic histiocytic intervillositis |
| Liver | COVID-19 |
| Pregnancy | placentitis |
| SARS-CoV-2 |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | MESH | Infection |
| disease | MESH | cause of death |
| disease | IDO | history |
| pathway | REACTOME | SARS-CoV-2 Infection |