Chorangiosis
Pronunciation: koh-ran-jee-OH-sis
A placental histological finding characterised by an abnormal increase in the number of capillaries within terminal villi, associated with chronic fetal hypoxia.
Full Definition
Chorangiosis is defined as the presence of ten or more capillary cross-sections in ten or more villi in ten or more fields of a placental slide examined at 10× magnification. It represents a compensatory response to chronic low-grade hypoxia or other metabolic stress and is associated with conditions such as diabetes mellitus, high-altitude pregnancies, and fetal growth restriction. Pathologists must distinguish chorangiosis from chorangioma (a benign vascular tumour) and chorangiomatosis (a diffuse, multifocal proliferative vascular lesion). Accurate terminology in placental reports is critical because these three entities carry different clinical implications.
Usage
Usage note: Chorangiosis, chorangioma, and chorangiomatosis are three distinct diagnoses; editors must not treat these as interchangeable or abbreviate them in ways that obscure the distinction.
In Context
- "Chorangiosis of the placenta was identified and correlated with the clinical history of poorly controlled gestational diabetes." — Placental pathology report
- "The editor queried whether 'chorangiosis' had been confused with 'chorangioma' in the original draft of the surgical pathology summary." — Editorial review note