ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Molar pregnancy

What is molar pregnancy?

4 May 2021

It is a pregnancy anomaly in which a lump or tumor forms in the uterus due to an abnormally fertilized egg, causing the placental tissue to produce this tumor mass.

Also called hydatidiform mole, molar pregnancy, despite not being frequent, has a higher incidence in women under 21 or over 36 years old, is classified into two types:

  • Total: the placenta is completely affected and forms cysts; it does not allow fetal development.
  • Partial: part of the placenta is normal and the other is abnormal, sometimes allowing fetal formation, which is usually aborted from the beginning of pregnancy.

Once the mole is removed, there is a chance that this abnormal tissue will continue to grow, a condition known as gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, which can cause serious complications such as turning the tissue cancerous.

Signs and symptoms Molar pregnancy

Initially, the symptoms are those of a conventional pregnancy, but soon symptoms such as:

  • Vaginal expulsion of small oval cysts.
  • Sore pelvis.
  • Dark brown or deep red vaginal bleeding.
  • Persistent nausea.
  • Excessive vomiting.
  • Rapid increase in the uterus volume.
  • Preeclampsia.
  • Ovaries with cysts.
  • Anemia.
  • Hyperthyroidism

Diagnosis and treatment Molar pregnancy

Once your gynecologist analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and request blood tests to measure the pregnancy hormone or human chorionic gonadotropin, as well as an ultrasound to detect:

  • Lack of fetus.
  • Lack of amniotic fluid.
  • Placental malformation.
  • Ovaries with cysts.

When the molar pregnancy is confirmed, the immediate removal of the abnormal placental tissue is necessary through dilation and curettage, which is a procedure that consists of dilating the uterus and extracting the affected tissue.

When there are higher risks of developing gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, which is the first step for an oncological disease, it is advisable to perform a hysterectomy, which consists of the total removal of the uterus.

After the extraction of the mole, it will be necessary to perform periodic measurements to verify the decrease and eventual disappearance of the pregnancy hormone.

If after a certain time you continue to present this hormone in the blood, it is essential to perform new tests to detect if molar tissue remained unremoved or if it has re-formed. If so, treatment should continue until there is no trace of human chorionic gonadotropin.

Comprehensive women’s health is our priority at the Women’s Center, so we offer services focused on women in all their chronological stages with the highest standards of care to improve their quality of life, through a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services. It has three specialized units:

Related centers and departments Molar pregnancy

Women’s Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • topdoctors.es
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • cun.es
  • medigraphic.com
  • Santiago-Sanabria L, Gómez-Romero A, Martínez-Villafaña E. Embarazo gemelar con mola hidatiforme completa y feto vivo coexistente. Ginecol Obstet Mex. 2021;89(09):727-734.
  • Solís CU, Calvopiña BSJ, Martínez LJP, et al. Mola hidatiforme como manifestación ginecobstétrica en el curso de las enfermedades reumáticas. Rev Cub Med Mil . 2018;47(4):1-8.
  • Muciño-García E, Hinojosa-Rodríguez KA, López-Rioja MJ, et al. Embarazo molar con feto vivo y éxito perinatal. Reporte de un caso y revisión bibliográfica. Ginecol Obstet Mex. 2017;85(11):772-777.
  • Salazar-Marcelino AE, Pérez- Lozano Y. Mola parcial con producto vivo. Med Int Mex. 2016;32(6):676-678.

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