Inflammation of the fetal membranes.
Chorioamnionitis
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| Chorioamnionitis | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
 Micrograph showing chorioamnionitis. H&E stain. |
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| ICD-10 | O41.1, P02.7 |
| ICD-9 | 658.4, 762.7 |
| eMedicine | ped/89 |
| MeSH | D002821 |
Chorioamnionitis is an inflammation of the fetal membranes (amnion and chorion) due to a bacterial infection. It typically results from bacteria ascending into the uterus from the vagina and is most often associated with prolonged labour.
Contents |
Background
The fetal membranes consist of two parts:
- The outer membrane is the chorion. It is closest to the mother and physically supports the much thinner amnion.
- The inner membrane is the amnion. It is in direct contact with the amniotic fluid, which surrounds the fetus.
Diagnosis
Clinical
Chorioamnionitis is diagnosed clinically in the setting of:[1]
- maternal fever.
- uterine tenderness in the presence of confirmed premature rupture of membranes (PROM).
Exclusions:
- maternal upper respiratory infection.
- maternal urinary tract infection.
Pathologic
Chorioamnionitis can be diagnosed from a histologic examination of the fetal membranes.
Infiltration of the chorionic plate by neutrophils is diagnostic of (mild) chorioamnionitis. More severe chorioamnionitis involves subamniotic tissue and may have fetal membrane necrosis and/or abscess formation.
Severe chorioamnionitis may be accompanied by vasculitis of the umbilical vessels (due to the fetus' inflammatory cells) and, if very severe, funisitis (inflammation of the umbilical cord's connective tissue).
Treatment
Treatment consists of:
- antibiotics (amoxycillin + gentamicin + metronidazole) for the mother, and
- quickly delivering the baby.
Associations
Chorioamnionitis is a risk factor for periventricular leukomalacia and cerebral palsy.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Elmar Peter Sakala, MD, MA, MPH, FACOG. Professor of GYNOB, Loma Linda University of medicine, California. Codirector of Student Clerkship. Dept of GYNOB
- ^ Wu YW, Colford JM (2000). "Chorioamnionitis as a risk factor for cerebral palsy: A meta-analysis". JAMA 284 (11): 1417–24. doi:. PMID 10989405.
External links
- Overview at Cleveland Clinic.
- Cerebral palsy inflammation link (29 November 2003) at BBC.
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Learn More
 | Premature Labor: Treatment |
| Chorio- |
| Cervical Cerclage (surgical term) |
 | What infection causes chorioamnionitis? Read answer... |
| Can chorioamnionitis cause death? Read answer... |
Help us answer these
 | Can a 20 weeks baby survive from chorioamnionitis? |
| Can you get chorioamnionitis again? |
| Drugs for chorioamnionitis? |
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Copyrights:
 |
 | Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Chorioamnionitis". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Premature Labor: Treatment
- Chorio-
- Cervical Cerclage (surgical term)
- Funisitis
