Utility of the Movat pentachrome stain technique in the microanatomical analysis of the human placenta

The efficacy and utility of pentachrome staining has been demonstrated in many studies on diverse human body tissues. Movat pentachrome technique is used for multicolor staining of tissue sections and vascular and stroma visualization. So far, the utility of this method for microanatomical evaluation of placental structures has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the image of normal placenta and to develop some reference images for future evaluation of pathological tissues based on this technique. Material and method. The study was carried out on 21 paraffin slices taken from seven mature human placenta of single pregnant women without significant pathology and completed with a planned, elective Caesarean section. All paraffin slices were used for preparation of tissue microarrays and then performing a histochemical staining (HE and Movat). Results. On the basis of the collected material, microscopic analysis enabled the identification of normal placental villi - terminal villi,mature intermediate villi and stem villi. Moreover the maternal part of placenta was visualized. It is worth emphasizing that in each case not only the trophoblast but also the stroma structures were visualized. Conclusions. This study proved the effectiveness and usefulness of Movat imaging of placenta especially in visualization of the stroma.