Imaging of the placenta: a multimodality pictorial review.

The placenta is often overlooked in the routine evaluation of a normal gestation, receiving attention only when an abnormality is detected. Although uncommon, abnormalities of the placenta are important to recognize owing to the potential for maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Pathologic conditions of the placenta include placental causes of hemorrhage, gestational trophoblastic disease, retained products of conception, nontrophoblastic placental tumors, metastases, and cystic lesions.