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Molar pregnancy
A hydatidiform mole brings alarming talk of tumours and cancer. Dr Howard Lee explains the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis
It is a terrible shock when you go for your first ultrasound and instead of regular heartbeats showing up on the screen, you're told that your baby has stopped growing and that you may have a 'molar pregnancy'.
But this is often how women discover that they're suffering from this rare complication, which affects 1 in 1,000 pregnancies. It is not clear why hydatidiform moles develop in the womb, but we do know that a previous miscarriage doubles the chance and that the risk also increases with age.
What is a molar pregnancy?
It occurs when the developing tissue responsible for the placenta (afterbirth) develops abnormally and overgrows to form a hydatidiform mole.
The placenta is made up of millions of cells called trophoblastic cells and this overgrowth is often referred to as 'trophoblastic disease'.
The hydatidiform mole itself is usually harmless and a cancerous change is quite rare. However, if the condition is not treated, it can continue to grow, burying itself into the surrounding organs.
It can also spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, including the lungs, liver, brain, spleen and kidneys.
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