MONDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of developing persistent trophoblastic disease after a pregnancy with a diploid hydatidiform mole and one or more normal co-fetuses is similar to that resulting from singleton pregnancies, according to a report in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The authors note that expectant management may be an option for such patients instead of therapeutic abortion.
Isa Niemann, M.D., of the University Hospital of Aarhus in Denmark, and colleagues identified 154 singleton and eight multiple molar pregnancies from a database of 270 cases with hydatidiform moles. All of the eight had a diploid molar component, and in five cases the patients chose to terminate the pregnancy, while two had miscarriages and one delivered a healthy baby.
In 17 percent of the singleton molar pregnancies and two (25 percent) of the diploid mole and coexisting fetus pregnancies the women subsequently developed persistent trophoblastic disease. The authors conclude that the risk is similar for both groups.
"Although both patients with persistent trophoblastic disease in this study were successfully treated with few courses of single agent chemotherapy, we cannot exclude the possibility of death caused by persistent trophoblastic disease in such pregnancies in the future," the authors write. "However, as the chance of a successful outcome seems relatively high, elective early termination of diploid mole with coexisting fetus pregnancies because of the risk of persistent trophoblastic disease alone may no longer need to be advised."
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