File:Uterine and placental vasculature.jpg

Diagrammatic representation of uterine and placental vasculature (red shading = arterial; blue shading = venous) in the non-pregnant, pregnant and immediate post-partum state.

Normal pregnancy is characterized by the formation of large arterio-venous shunts that persist in the immediate post-partum period.

By contrast pregnancies complicated by severe preeclampsia are characterized by minimal arterio-venous shunts, and thus narrower uterine arteries. Extravillous cytotrophoblast invasion in normal pregnancy (diamonds) extends beyond the decidua into the inner myometrium resulting in the formation of funnels at the discharging tips of the spiral arteries. Contrast with severe preeclampsia. (Prepared by Ms. Leslie Proctor, MSc.)

Original File name: Gr2.jpg

Links: Figure - Placenta_spiral_artery_conversion

=Reference

<pubmed>19375795</pubmed>| PMC2697319

Placenta. 2009 June; 30(6): 473–482. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2009.02.009. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. “This is an unofficial translation of an article that appeared in an Elsevier publication. Elsevier has not endorsed this translation.”

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/supplementalterms1.0