Placental and Gestational Trophoblastic Pathology for General Pathologists: How to Keep Calm and Carry On

Placental and Gestational Trophoblastic Pathology for General Pathologists: How to Keep Calm and Carry On is organized by United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) and will be held from Nov 02 - 04, 2026 at USCAP Interactive Center, Palm Springs, California, United States of America.

Course Description:
A practical approach to recognizing and reporting clinically relevant alterations of the placenta in a general pathologist practice setting is the main focus of this course, with an additional focus on gestational trophoblastic disease. The course is organized using the 2014 Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group classifications (e.g. maternal vascular lesions, fetal vascular lesions, inflammatory lesions). We will emphasize pattern-based morphology of placental disease; correlation with clinical history and gross pathology; and creation of clinically-relevant pathology reports. The cases presented will include common alterations of clinical significance as well as newer topics including COVID-related pathology and the new FIGO grading system for placenta accreta spectrum. The gestational trophoblastic cases will highlight strategies for recognizing products of conceptions with features suspicious for molar pregnancy and the selection and interpretation of relevant confirmatory diagnostic tests. The target audience is general pathologists and trainees.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply the 2014 Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group classifications to evaluation and reporting of placental pathology.
• Identify and report placental alterations that are critical values to patient care or triggers for additional workup of the baby and mother.
• Recognize the morphologic indications of concern for gestational trophoblastic disease and select and interpret appropriate confirmatory diagnostic tests.

During the 30-minute Slide Preview session, glass slides are reviewed at the individual microscopes. Participants receive 90 seconds to preview the slide, and then it is passed to the next attendee. Each slide preview session has up to 18 cases. After the Slide Preview, attendees move from the individual microscopes to the multiheaded teaching microscope to start the Case Discussion.