Category:Carnegie Embryo 729

Carnegie embryo from tubal pregnancy, first discussed by Mall in 1915 survey of Carnegie Collection^[1]

Tubal Pregnancy with Pathological Embryos

"No. 729 is an unusually interesting specimen containing a pathological embryo. The illustrations (plate 10) show a case of ruptured tubal pregnancy with the ovum still attached to the tube walls. Sections were cut through the middle of this specimen and through the tube on both the distal and central sides of the pregnancy. From the sections it is seen that the trophoblast is extremely active, eating its way through the muscular wall and into the sides of the large blood-vessels. In one instance one-half of a thick-walled artery has been eaten away, the other side, however, appearing to be perfectly normal. We have here a case in which the implantation was certainly sound. Sections through the uterine end of the tube show that the mucosa is thrown into folds, but they are not adherent to one another. The ephithelial lining, however, has formed diverticula into the muscular layer, giving a glandular appearance which will be discussed in speaking of the next group. This type of change is by no means uncommon; in one instance, instead of a single lumen, there are at least 20 lumina. Into one of these, if the main lumen should be missed, the ovum could easily implant itself. At any rate, we seem to have here a specimen of implantation in the muscular wall, because the ovum is burrowing through it so rapidly. The history of the case shows that rupture occurred at a point about 1 cm. from the uterus and that the outer end of the tube was matted together by adhesions. The woman had been married for 6 years and had been pregnant 4 times; the first two pregnancies had ended in an abortion at 6 weeks, and the third went to full term, ending in the birth of a healthy child. The patient had acquired syphilis 2 years before she was married; a gonorrheal infection was doubtful."

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