Placental Malaria in Colombia: Histopathologic Findings in Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum Infections

Jaime Carmona-Fonseca Grupo Salud y Comunidad-César Uribe Piedrahíta, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

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Eliana Arango Grupo Salud y Comunidad-César Uribe Piedrahíta, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

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Amanda Maestre Grupo Salud y Comunidad-César Uribe Piedrahíta, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

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Studies on gestational malaria and placental malaria have been scarce in malaria-endemic areas of the Western Hemisphere. To describe the histopathology of placental malaria in Colombia, a longitudinal descriptive study was conducted. In this study, 179 placentas were studied by histologic analysis (112 with gestational malaria and 67 negative for malaria). Placental malaria was confirmed in 22.35%, 50.0% had previous infections, and 47.5% had acute infections. Typical malaria-associated changes were observed in 37%. The most common changes were villitis, intervillitis, deciduitis, increased fibrin deposition, increased syncytial knots, mononuclear (monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes), polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, and trophozoites in fetal erythrocytes. No association was found between type of placental changes observed and histopathologic classification of placental malaria. The findings are consistent with those reported for placental malaria in other regions. Plasmodium vivax was the main parasite responsible for placental and gestational malaria, but its role in the pathogenesis of placental malaria was not conclusive.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Amanda Maestre, Grupo Salud y Comunidad, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 51D, No. 62–29, Medellín, Colombia. E-mail: aemaestre@gmail.com

Financial support: This study was supported by Instituto Colombiano para el Desarollo de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia (code 11150417041, contract RC-316-2004; code 111540820495, contract RC 238-2007 and code 111549326134 contract RC-611-2009); Dirección Seccional de Salud de Antioquia; CODI-Estrategia de Sostenibilidad 2013-2014; CODI-REGIONALIZACION code 2557; and Universidad de Antioquia Colombia.

Authors' addresses: Jaime Carmona-Fonseca, Eliana Arango, and Amanda Maestre, Grupo Salud y Comunidad, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 51D, No. 62–29, Medellín, Colombia, E-mails: jaimecarmonaf@hotmail.com, amarango@gmail.com, and aemaestre@gmail.com.

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