Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be going

through molar pregnancy. And you can find written notes on this topic at zero to finals.com

slash molar pregnancy or in the early pregnancy section of the zero to finals, obstetrics and gynecology book.

So let's get straight into it.

A hydatidiform mole is a type of tumour that grows like a pregnancy inside the uterus.

This is called a molar pregnancy. There are two types of molar

pregnancy, a complete mole and a partial mole. A complete mole occurs when two sperm cells

fertilize an ovum that contains no genetic material, which is called an empty ovum.

You then get two sperm inside an empty egg, and these sperm combine their genetic material,

and the cells start to divide and grow into a tumour which is called a complete mole.

No fetal material will form. A partial mole occurs when two sperm cells fertilize a normal ovum.

The ovum contains genetic material but the two sperm cells fertilize this egg at the same time.

The new cell now has three sets of chromosomes, one from each of the sperm cells and one from the ovum.

The cell divides and multiplies into a tumour called a partial mole. In this partial mole, some fetal material may form.

Let's talk about making the diagnosis. Initially, a molar pregnancy behaves quite like a normal

pregnancy. The menstrual periods will stop and the hormonal changes of pregnancy

will occur as normal. There are a few things that can indicate a molar pregnancy compared with a normal

pregnancy, including more severe morning sickness, vaginal bleeding, increased enlargement of the uterus

compared with normal,

abnormally high human corionic gonadotropin or HCG, and thyrotoxicocosis can occur.

And this is because HCG can mimic T.S.H or thyroid stimulating hormone

and stimulate the thyroid to produce excessive quantities of thyroid

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