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A differential diagnosis between fetus amorphus and placental teratoma based on the presence of an umbilical cord and/or skeletal organization in the fetus amorphus has been proposed (Fox and Butler-Manual: Journal of Pathology 88:137-140, 1964). We report a description of one new case of fetus amorphus, along with the results of a critical reexamination of 96 cases from the literature. Our findings fail to support the proposed criteria for distinguishing fetus amorphus from placental teratomas. We find that the presence or absence of an umbilical cord does not relate at all to the developmental state of the specimen. The extent of skeletal development may be a more valid criterion; however, the internal organization in the fetus amorphus forms an anatomical continuum with that of the placental teratoma, making a differential diagnosis meaningless. Additional research is necessary to solve this dilemma.

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Fetal cells were found in the blood of 19 per cent of 106 patients after termination of pregnancy. A case is described of rhesus immunization after therapeutic abortion in which no feto-maternal haemorrhage was detected.THE efficacy of anti-D gamma globulin in the prevention of rhesus immunizatioii is established (Clarke 1968). With the recent increase in the number of therapeutic abortions it has become important to estimate the risk of immunization, and therefore the need for the administration of anti-D gamma globulin to rhesus negative patients after the operation.An investigation has been made to determine the frequency of feto-maternal haemorrhage at surgical termination of pregnancy. In addition a case is reported in which immunization occurred after the operation.