The authors report their experience of 790 villous specimens taken either early (for 430 cases) or late (360 cases) between 10 and 37 weeks of amenorrhea (WA) using a transabdominal syringe. In the early choriocentesis cases, they conclude that use of the transabdominal route after 12.5 WA, regardless of the position of the chorion, makes it possible significantly to reduce the rate of fetal loss which becomes similar to that for amniocentesis. Placentocentesis has been used at later stages, either for high-risk couples as an alternative to amniocentesis (183 cases), or in cases of ultrasound abnormalities (177 cases) as an alternative to amniocentesis or cordocentesis. Placentocentesis makes it possible to obtain the fetal karyotype very rapidly within 1 to 2 days.