SARS-CoV-2 Placental Infection in an Unvaccinated Mother Resulting in Fetal Demise

Dominic J Bewley; Jessica Lee; Oana Popescu; Angelica Oviedo

doi:10.7759/cureus.20833

SARS-CoV-2 Placental Infection in an Unvaccinated Mother Resulting in Fetal Demise

Cureus. 2021 Dec 30;13(12):e20833. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20833. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Dominic J Bewley¹, Jessica Lee¹, Oana Popescu², Angelica Oviedo³

Affiliations

¹ Pathology, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces, USA.
² Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Vernon Jubilee Hospital, Vernon, CAN.
³ Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces, USA.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pregnancy may have devastating complications including fetal demise. Here, we describe a case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a second-trimester pregnancy. The placenta demonstrated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA along with intervillositis and perivillous fibrin deposition. SARS-CoV-2 directly infects the trophoblastic cells of the placenta through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. This case report details the clinical history of a SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnancy with fetal demise. In addition, we show the images of the placental pathology and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in situ studies.

Keywords: fetal demise; intervillositis; placenta; sars-cov-2 infection; unvaccinated.

Publication types

Case Reports