Two cases of placental involvement by congenital metastasizing neuroblastoma are reported. The diagnoses were made upon histological examination of the placenta. The tumors apparently arose in the periadrenal sympathetic plexus and may have been multicentric. These appear to be the first reported instances of placental metastasis of fetal neoplasms. Clinically both cases resembled severe erythroblastosis fetalis. Similarities in the gross and histological appearance of these placentas and those seen in severe isoimmunization disease are discussed. While transplacental metastasis from mother to fetus is known to occur, the reverse has not been encountered. An explanation for this is sought in immunological mechanisms. Analogies are drawn to other types of placental and fetal disease.
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Strauss et al. (1964) studied this question.