The Pathogenesis of Amniotic-Fluid Embolism

Abstract

THE syndrome of acute fatal amniotic-fluid embolism in parturient women, although relatively rare, is adequately described in the literature,^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9} and the occurrence of nonfatal cases has been suggested.⁷ Since the mechanism of entrance of the amniotic fluid into the maternal circulation has been unexplained in most of the cases reported, some writers have postulated that vessels of the placental site are often the point of entrance. However, a recent demonstration of entrance of amniotic fluid into areas of premature separation of the placenta¹⁰ has served to call attention to this problem again and to focus it on cases with abnormal . . .