Histopathological examination of the curettage material in nonviable pregnancies and evaluation of the frequency of hydatidiform mole.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the frequency of possible missed diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease in nonviable pregnancies and to evaluate the importance of histopathological examination.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, the results of the histopathological assessment of patients undergoing uterine surgery with a diagnosis of nonviable pregnancy were analyzed before 14 weeks of gestation. Nonviable pregnancy was defined as anembryonic pregnancy and intrauterine exitus (IU-ex) based on ultrasound findings. The frequency and sonographic characteristics of molar pregnancy in nonviable pregnancy were analyzed.

RESULTS: Molar pregnancy was detected in 24 (1.62%) of 1481 patients diagnosed with nonviable pregnancy on ultrasound. One thousand one hundred and twenty-one of the cases were IU-ex (75.69%) and the remaining were anembryonic pregnancy (24.31%). The mean crown-rump length of pregnancies in the IU-ex group was 16.7 mm and the mean gestational age was 8 weeks. The average gestational sac diameter was found to be 26 mm in anembryonic pregnancy patients. The hydatidiform mole ratio was significantly higher in anembryonic pregnancy patients (3.06%) than in IU-ex patients (1.16%) (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS: The appearance of early molar pregnancy on ultrasound evaluation may mimic anembryonic pregnancies. Therefore, histopathological examination of anembryonic pregnancies may be useful in early diagnosis and for the treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.