Molar pregnancy

A molar pregnancy is a gestational trophoblastic condition in which abnormal placental tissue grows in the uterus. It may be complete, with no embryo, or partial, with abnormal embryonic tissue.

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Complete hydatidiform mole: A molar pregnancy in which abnormal placental tissue develops without an embryo. This form usually arises when paternal genetic material fertilizes an egg lacking functional maternal nuclear DNA.
Human chorionic gonadotropin: A hormone produced by placental tissue that supports early pregnancy and is measured in pregnancy tests. Molar tissue can produce unusually high levels, and serial measurements track whether it persists after treatment.
Miscarriage: The loss of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive outside the uterus. A molar pregnancy cannot develop into a healthy ongoing pregnancy and is usually evacuated.
Ectopic pregnancy: A pregnancy implanted outside the uterine cavity, most often in a fallopian tube. Both can cause bleeding and abnormal pregnancy findings, but ectopic pregnancy is defined by implantation location.
Partial hydatidiform mole: A molar pregnancy with abnormal placental tissue and typically abnormal embryonic tissue. An extra paternal chromosome set commonly produces this form, which may include fetal tissue.
Ultrasonography: Medical imaging that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of internal structures. Ultrasound can reveal abnormal placental tissue and help distinguish complete from partial moles.
Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy: Bleeding from the vagina during pregnancy, with causes ranging from benign to urgent. Bleeding is a frequent presenting symptom of molar pregnancy.
Blighted ovum: An early pregnancy in which a gestational sac develops without a visible embryo. Both may lack a viable embryo, but a blighted ovum does not involve molar placental proliferation.
Triploidy: A chromosomal condition in which cells contain three complete sets of chromosomes. Triploidy is the common genetic pattern behind partial molar pregnancies.
Dilation and curettage: A procedure that opens the cervix and removes tissue from the uterus. Uterine evacuation by suction curettage is a common treatment for molar pregnancy.