Clinical and histopathological features of parvovirus B19 infection in the human fetus.
OBJECTIVE
To provide a comprehensive description of the clinical and histopathological features associated with parvovirus B19 infection of the human fetus.


METHODS
All cases of parvovirus B19-related fetal death presenting to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, over a 16 year period. Diagnosis was confirmed retrospectively by non-isotopic in situ hybridization for parvovirus B19 DNA.


RESULTS
The ten cases occurred in two clusters (1979-80 and 1988-89) and presented between 15 and 29 weeks gestation. In at least three cases maternal infection was asymptomatic. Nine fetuses were grossly hydropic at necropsy. Histological features common to all cases included the presence of typical intranuclear inclusions in erythroid precursor cells and evidence of vasculitis within placental villi. Inflammatory changes were also present in the myocardium of four cases, with evidence of subendocardial fibroelastosis in three.


CONCLUSIONS
Histological features of fetal parvovirus B19 infection are similar across a range of gestational ages. The heart failure and hydropic state associated with fetal parvovirus infection may be of multifactorial aetiology, and not due to fetal anaemia alone.
Morey
A L
AL
University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Pathology and Bacteriology, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK.
Keeling
J W
JW
Porter
H J
HJ
Fleming
K A
KA
D000328:Adult; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies