[Frequency of hydatidiform mole in tissue obtained by curettage].

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of hydatiform mole in tissues obtained by curettage.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, prospective and descriptive conducted on patients who underwent curretage due to a diagnosis of abortion or hydatiform mole whose material was sent for pathological examination. We excluded women who did not accept to participate and refused to sign the free informed consent form. We studied the following variables: pathological findings, age, race, number of pregnancies and previous abortions, gestational age at diagnosis, quantitative serum beta fraction of human chorionic gonadotropin and ultrasound findings. The data were compared to the to histological diagnosis, considered to be the gold standard. Data were stored and analyzed in Microsoft Excel(®) software and the Epi-Info program, version 6.0 (STATCALC) and the results are presented as frequency (percentage) or mean±standard deviation. The χ(2) test was used to determine the association between qualitative variables and the level of significance was set at p<0.005.

RESULTS: A total of 515 curettage procedures were performed, 446 of which comprised the sample. The frequency of hydatiform mole was 2.2% (ten cases). The mean age of the patients with a mole was 31±10 years, most patients were white and multiparous and had no history of previous abortions, but there was no significant association between these variables. The pregnancy loss occurred early in patients with and without a mole and the most common complaints in both groups were vaginal bleeding and cramps in the lower abdomen. Quantitative determination of human chorionic gonadotropin was performed in 422 cases (413 with and 9 without a hydatiform mole). The levels of the hormone were higher than 100,000 mIU/mL in 1.9% of the patients without a hydatiform mole and in 44.45% of the patients with the disease (p=0.00004). All patients with this hormonal level had an ultrasound suspicion of hydatiform mole and one of them also had a clinical suspicion. A total of 333 patients underwent ultrasound examination. Of the patients with sonographic findings suggestive of molar pregnancy, there was confirmation in five (41.7%) cases. The other seven (58.3%) were false positives. A significant association was found between ultrasound suspected molar pregnancy and disease confirmation by histopathological analysis (p=0.0001). In 50% of cases of hydatiform mole there was no suspicion of the disease according to clinical signs and symptoms, levels of beta fraction of human chorionic gonadotropin or sonographic findings.

CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of hydatidiform mole is low and the disease may not be suspected by clinical examination, ultrasonography or the serum level of the beta fraction of human chorionic gonadotropin, requiring pathological examination of tissue obtained by uterine evacuation for diagnosis.