FAT DEPOSITS IN THE PLACENTA FOLLOWING MATERNAL TOTAL PARENTERAL-NUTRITION WITH INTRAVENOUS LIPID EMULSION

Total parenteral nutrition with parenteral lipid emulsion is being use d with increased frequency in malnourished pregnant women. Placentas e xamined in 20 reported cases of maternal hyperalimentation with lipid emulsions have been described as normal. We report a case of a 31-year -old pregnant woman who received total parenteral nutrition with daily lipid emulsions for 8 weeks. Intrauterine fetal death was diagnosed a t 22 weeks' gestation. The tan-yellow, pale placenta showed vacuolated syncytial cells and Hofbauer cells, which stained for fat by the oil red O stain, in the chorionic villi. To our knowledge, this is the fir st reported case of fat deposits in the placenta associated with intra venous lipid emulsions.