HYDATIDIFORM MOLE

Course overview

A HYDATIFORM MOLE (ALSO KNOWN AS A MOLAR PREGNANCY) IS A GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC DISEASE (GTD), WHICH ORIGINATES FROM THE PLACENTA AND CAN METASTASIZE. IT IS UNIQUE IN THAT THE TUMOR ORIGINATES FROM GESTATIONAL TISSUE RATHER THAN FROM MATERNAL TISSUE. HYDATIFORM MOLES (HM) ARE CATEGORIZED AS COMPLETE AND PARTIAL AND ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED THE NONINVASIVE FORM OF GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC DISEASE. WHILE HYDATIFORM MOLES ARE TYPICALLY DEEMED BENIGN, THEY ARE PREMALIGNANT AND DO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME MALIGNANT AND INVASIVE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF HYDATIFORM MOLES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.