Recurrent placental villitis is an uncommon clinicopathologic entity a
ssociated with a very high perinatal mortality rate. While most cases
are idiopathic, other cases may have a treatable infections cause. Her
e, a mother with recurrent fetal losses, each showing chronic villitis
associated with rod shaped bacilli as demonstrated by Steiner strain,
is presented. The key feature separating this and other similar cases
from idiopathic villitis is a pleomorphic inflammatory infiltrate inc
luding lymphocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, plasma cells, and neutro
phils.