Question

A pregnant woman with no other comorbid conditions develops preeclampsia. She enquires about the cause of her condition. The doctor explains that it is due to the failure of the invasion of:

• A. Spiral artery by villous trophoblasts
• B. Radial artery by cytotrophoblasts
• C. Spiral artery by extravillous trophoblasts
• D. Arcuate artery by extravillous trophoblasts

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems. It typically occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had previously been normal.

One of the primary causes of preeclampsia is the inadequate remodeling of the spiral arteries. During a normal pregnancy, the invasion of extravillous trophoblasts remodels these small-caliber, high-resistance vessels into larger, low-resistance vessels, which is essential for adequate blood flow to the placenta.

In cases of preeclampsia, this invasion by extravillous trophoblasts fails, resulting in insufficient remodeling of the spiral arteries. The narrowed arteries lead to a poorly perfused placenta, which can result in the clinical manifestations of preeclampsia.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

• Spiral artery by extravillous trophoblasts