An abnormal pregnancy from a pathologic ovum, resulting in a mass of cysts shaped like a bunch of grapes.
Abnormality occurring in pregnancy during which portions of the chorion degenerate, forming grapelike masses throughout the placenta, causing death of the embryo and sometimes leading to a malignancy in the uterus. It occurs in about 1 in 1500 pregnancies in the United States and is much more common in some Far Eastern countries. Early symptoms include extreme nausea, uterine bleeding, and an unusually large uterus. It is important that all molar tissue be removed from the uterus to minimize the risk of developing choriocarcinoma. Also called hydatidiform mole.
A polycystic mass in which the chorionic villi have undergone cystic degeneration, resulting in rapid growth of the uterus with hemorrhage. It is thought to be caused by abnormal post fertilization replication of spermatozoal chromosomes. Complete and partial moles differ in karyotype. Complete moles show an absence of maternal chromosomes and a duplication of spermatozoal chromosomes. Partial moles exhibit either karyotype 69 XXY or karyotype 69 XYY due to the presence of the maternal X chromosome.