Wharton's jelly absence: a possible cause of stillbirth

Eduarda Bittencourt Damasceno, Patrícia Picciarelli de Lima, Eduarda Bittencourt Damasceno, Patrícia Picciarelli de Lima

Abstract

The umbilical cord is a structure that provides vascular flow between the fetus and the placenta. It contains two arteries and one vein, which are surrounded and supported by gelatinous tissue known as Wharton's jelly. There are many umbilical cord abnormalities that are related to the prognosis of fetus survival and birth weight. The authors report a case of umbilical cord constriction due to the localized absence of Wharton's jelly, which was undiagnosed antenatally and had a fatal outcome. A review of the association between the absence of Wharton's jelly and an unfavorable pregnancy outcome was undertaken.

Keywords: Stillbirth; Umbilical Cord; Wharton Jelly.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None

Figures

Figure 1. – Gross examination of the…
Figure 1. – Gross examination of the stillbirth. A and B – Constriction of the umbilical cord close to its insertion into the fetal surface; C – External examination of the placenta and the umbilical cord. Note the marginal insertion of the umbilical cord at the placenta; D – Sequential cuts of the umbilical cord.
Figure 2. – Gross and microscopy examination…
Figure 2. – Gross and microscopy examination of the umbilical cord, showing the morphology of the constricted segment. A – Gross aspect of the constricted segment of the umbilical cord showing the absence of Wharton’s jelly; B – The absence of Wharton’s jelly at the umbilical cord; C – A segment of the umbilical cord with scant Wharton’s jelly.

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Source: PubMed

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