This book had its beginning in 1967 when Shirley G. Driscoll and Kurt Benirschke wrote in English the volume on placental pathology for the Henke-Lubarsch, the noted German Handbook of Pathology. There seemed to be a need for wider distribution of the text and it was reprinted by Springer Verlag, New York, essentially the only book available devoted just to the human placenta. Dr. Benirschke authored 5 subsequent editions in collaboration with Peter Kaufmann, Rebecca Baergen and Graham Burton in 1990 (2nd edition), 1995 (3rd edition), 2000 (4th edition), 2006 (5th edition) and 2012 (6th edition). In the early editions, the most important material was in a larger font than the extensive review of exceptions and the discussion in the literature. Since 1967, many other shorter placenta books have been published in English, French and German. None of these have included the breadth of discussion or the voluminous references which includes details of many historic articles, not readily available. Interest in the placenta has wildly expanded over the intervening 50+ years with the vast majority of Pathologists, Obstetricians and Pediatricians recognizing its value. In addition, there are now quite a few new journals, societies and meetings devoted to the placenta in both clinical and research areas. The interest extends into areas of study well beyond the realm of anatomic pathology. The 7th edition will, of necessity, differ from the prior editions which Dr. Benirschke wrote largely himself at first, and later with the help of the above noted co-authors. It will now be an international multi-authored book with nearly 40 contributors revising one or more chapters. The explosion of new information as necessitating some reordering of chapters and adding completely new chapters including Chapters 31 and 32, “Innovations in Placental Pathology” and “Imaging in Placental Pathology”. Dr. Burton’s section has been extensively edited, as well. The editors gave the new authors considerable latitude in how to write the new and/or edited chapters. Many of the revised chapters retain much of Dr. Benirschke’s anecdotal information as well as the voluminous references. Others are more modern in their approach. All contain substantial new references and current information. It is our hope that Benirschke’s Pathology of the Human Placenta will remain as a mainstay reference in placental pathology. It aims to help readers gain a broad understanding of how placental architecture is shaped during normal development, with a view to appreciating how this may be perturbed in complications of pregnancy.

Pathology of the Human Placenta remains the authoritative text in the field and is respected and used by pathologists and obstetrician-gynecologists alike. This fifth edition reflects new advances in the field and includes 800 illustrations, 173 of them in color. The detailed index has been improved and the tables updated. Defined terms are highlighted in bold for easy identification, and further findings are discussed in small type throughout each chapter. Advances in genetics and molecular biology continue to make the study of the placenta one of vast diagnostic and legal importance.

This is a completely new, second edition of the classic reference which has been out of print since 1984. It is the most comprehensive work available on placental pathology, which has recently gained importance in clinical medicine, and includes discussion of legal aspects dealing with the relation between placenta and perinatal damage.

A guide to identifying disease processes in the placenta affecting pregnancy outcome, with current diagnostic criteria and clinical consequences.

This book provides a comprehensive resource on the pathology of the human singleton placenta. Agreed nomenclature, nosology, definitions and, where possible, thresholds for meaningful clinical corrections for lesions ideal for practical application in clinical practice are presented. Evidence is also featured on relevant potential clinical correlations to aid the reader in deciding upon the most appropriate management strategy. Areas of current uncertainty are also covered for potential future research. Pathology of the Placenta systematically describes placental pathology, and represents a valuable resource for practising and trainee pathologists, obstetricians, neonatologists and epidemiologists.

The first edition of Color Atlas of Fetal and Neonatal Histology was an important step in updating the histology texts available to practicing pathologists and pathology trainees who perform fetal autopsy and/or participate in research involving fetal tissues. It was a well-received volume that filled a major gap in pathology references related to normal histology and provided a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of fetal and neonatal histology. While the basics of fetal histology have changed little in the intervening years since publication of the first edition, this successor edition provides new insights and a fresh perspective. This book contains six new chapters including: blood vessels and lymphatics, external genitalia, eye, ear, skin, and maceration changes. Many existing chapters have also been expanded to address a greater breadth of fetal and neonatal histology such as postnatal testis development and the cardiac conduction system. The “Special Considerations” sections were also expanded in many chapters to address particularly problematic issues within individual organ systems. The book reviews the histology of the major organ systems in the fetus and neonate and provides detailed images, up-to-date references, and practical guidelines for identifying tissues across all gestational ages of development. The second edition of Color Atlas of Fetal and Neonatal Histology serves as the ultimate go-to resource for pathologists and researchers dealing with, and interested in, fetal and neonatal histology. It provides a comprehensive summary of the current status of the field with excellent and extensive illustrative examples that help guide the clinical study of fetal and neonatal histology and stimulate investigative efforts with fetal tissue.

The placenta is fascinating and complex. Basically foreign to the maternal body, it can be thought of as an organ transplanted onto the mother's host tissue. As such it embodies all the principles of tissue acceptance and rejection. Many of the risks of pregnancy and labor have now been eliminated and the placenta is likely to be at the root of many of the dangers to the unborn child that remain. A breakdown of the relationship between the placenta and the maternal tissue may turn out to be the cause of the majority of early lost pregnancies.