title: Intraplacental choriocarcinoma as an unexpected cause of intrauterine death at term.
abstract: Intraplacental choriocarcinoma is rare. It can cause fetal death at term by fetomaternal hemorrhage. We present a case of intraplacental choriocarcinoma. After a hydatidiform mole with persistence of throphoblastic disease, the patient delivered a stillborn baby at term. Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage was the unexpected cause of death. Choriocarcinoma was only diagnosed after pathologic revision of the placenta because of persistent high levels of serum hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage should alert the obstetrician and the pathologist to the possibility of choriocarcinoma arising from the placenta.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bronovo Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Vandenbussche
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Wasser
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis