BACKGROUND:

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) is a rare condition of recent description, often mistaken with other placental diseases. PMD is associated to fetal anomalies and syndromes. However, some fetuses are anatomically and genetically normal.

CLINICAL CASE:

Patient is 29 years old, with a history of 4 pregnancies, two cesarean sections and one abortion. In the first trimester of pregnancy, placental mesenchymal dysplasia was diagnosed and evaluated with serial Doppler of the uterine, umbilical and middle cerebral arteries. As these are exceptional cases, a brief bibliographic review is made.

CONCLUSIONS:

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia has a wide spectrum of clinical behavior. For fetuses without abnormalities there are no clear guidelines about fetal surveillance. We suggest a serial evaluation of fetal well-being that includes, but is not restricted to, maternal-fetal Doppler evaluation and cardiotocographic recording, among other biophysical variables, since they have a high risk of unexplained death.