In the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia, shallow endovascular trophoblastic invasion leads to failure of physiological changes in which specific blood vessels?
- A Umbilical arteries
- B Uterine veins
- C Spiral arteries ✓
- D Ovarian arteries
Correct answer: C. Spiral arteries
Explanation
Normal pregnancy requires extravillous trophoblasts to invade the spiral arteries, stripping their smooth muscle and converting them into high-capacitance, low-resistance vessels. In pre-eclampsia, this invasion is shallow, leaving the spiral arteries muscular and high-resistance, causing placental ischemia.
Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.