Prognostic value of funisitis and/or chorionic vasculitis compared to histologic chorioamnionitis in full-term infants.

Aim: To compare pathological findings in the placenta and cord with the prognosis of full-term infants in cases of neonatal infection and microbial analyses. Methods: The pathological findings in the placenta and cord and microbial analyses of amniotic fluid and neonatal samples based on culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were observed in 1208 full-term mother–infant pairs at our center. We also collected neonatal clinical infection data, such as the occurrence of septicemia and other infectious diseases. Results: Neonatal infection and positive identification of microorganisms were more common in the funisitis and/or chorionic vasculitis group than in the histologic chorioamnionitis group. Conclusion: Funisitis and/or chorionic vasculitis is a valuable pathological marker for assessing the comparison between intrauterine infection and neonatal inflammatory conditions in infants delivered at full-term. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]