Placental pathology casebook: Asymptomatic intraplacental choriocarcinoma diagnosed on routine placental examination

Asymptomatic intraplacental choriocarcinoma is a rare event with only a few case reports in the literature. The recognition of such a lesion on routine placental examination is important and prompts rapid clinical evaluation for identifying residual and/or metastatic disease followed by institution of chemotherapy. Failure to recognize such a lesion on gross inspection of the placenta can result in disseminated disease, which can be lethal. The following report describes the placental findings and clinical outcome in a recent case with a review of the relevant literature.