Detection of hydatidiform mole in maternal serum screening programmes for Down's syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how frequently hydatidiform mole will be detected in a maternal serum Down's syndrome screening programme.


METHODS
Affected pregnancies were identified using a national register. Unconjugated oestriol (uE3) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were measured in stored serum samples and alphafetoprotein (AFP) levels were available from previous neural tube defect screening at 15-20 weeks gestation.


METHODS
Ten pregnancies with a complete mole (i.e., hydropic placenta without a fetus), nine with stored serum samples and one with an AFP level only.


RESULTS
The median values were 0.08, 0.13 and 1.83 multiples of the normal median for AFP, uE3 and hCG respectively. Six out of nine (67%) tested for all three markers had a high risk of Down's syndrome given maternal age and the marker levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Many molar pregnancies that have not presented clinically before 15 weeks will be detected through Down's syndrome screening.
Cuckle
H S
HS
Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, UK.
Densem
J W
JW
Wald
N J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008403:Mass Screening; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004958:Estradiol