Molar Pregnancy – Basic Information About This Disease

During pregnancy, many different changes and symptoms can occur and require immediate action and treatment. One of these complications, though perhaps rare, is a molar pregnancy.

Below, we explain what a molar pregnancy really is and present the techniques that doctors use to diagnose and treat it.

What is a molar pregnancy?

Molar pregnancy is a term that is often abbreviated as GTD. It involves the unnatural proliferation of tissue that makes up the trophoblast (one of the cell layers involved in the formation of the embryo).

In general, we distinguish several categories of molar pregnancy depending on the nature and source of the problem.

On the one hand, there may be a benign lesion of tissues. In this case, there is no risk of developing malignant neoplastic changes. This may result in partial or complete trophoblastic disease.

On the other hand, there may also be a range of molar pregnancy related diseases known as Geoporotic Trophoblastic Neoplasia. It includes malignant intracellular changes. For this reason, chorionic neoplasms and epithelial tumors can develop, which can affect surrounding tissues.

Molar pregnancy – symptoms and disturbing signals

However, as your pregnancy progresses, a series of clinical signs will certainly emerge to aid in diagnosis. They are mainly:

• Uterine hemorrhage. Vaginal bleeding is a symptom that occurs in almost all women with a molar pregnancy. This is due to the fact that the resulting trophoblastic tissue is very invasive and, in addition, is located between the layers of other tissues. As a result, blood accumulates due to its inability to flow properly. Sudden bleeding occurs when the blood volume exceeds a certain threshold.
• Toxemia. It is a common symptom of many patients. However, there may be cases where it does not appear. Toxemia is pregnancy-related hypertension and is a serious medical condition that requires immediate medical attention to prevent potential sequelae.
• Incorrect base height. The depth of the uterus increases by about four centimeters each month of pregnancy. In the past, doctors used this depth to estimate the gestational age. Today, this technique is no longer used thanks to the invention of ultrasound. In any case, the height of the base of the uterus above the norm is a sign that is often associated with a molar pregnancy.

• Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, several hormone checks are carried out to make sure they are all normal. When trophoblastic tissue proliferates, hormone levels fluctuate due to the formation of an extra cell layer.

Molar pregnancy – diagnosis

First, there must be clinical suspicion. Hormonal changes in blood analysis are an important test for molar pregnancy.

However, this is not a problem. It could also be a sign of other complications. This is especially true if the patient is pregnant for the first time while being in middle age or if she has a genetic abnormality.

However, by far the best and most effective technique for diagnosing a molar pregnancy is ultrasound.

Thanks to the use of ultrasound, we can directly visualize the pregnancy bag and cysts that often appear in its vicinity. In addition, in case of any suspicions, doctors may decide to collect samples for further analysis.

If there is a suspicion of cancer at the time of diagnosis, an imaging test such as a CT scan, MRI or ultrasound will also be required.

It is necessary to completely remove the cyst to prevent later complications, especially with metastases. Therefore, it is necessary to implement surgical treatment and, if necessary, also chemotherapy.

If the patient does not plan to have more children or the risk of complications is very high, then more invasive treatment should be undertaken. However, it is always best to use a more conservative approach, especially with young patients.

There are many diagnostic methods and treatments for molar pregnancy. However, analytical tests and imaging techniques are certainly very helpful in diagnosing the problem and determining the correct treatment.