title: Missing choriocarcinoma may be easy but not suspecting it in a high-risk case can be potentially fatal.
abstract: A 27-year-old woman, fourth gravida, with three prior consecutive vesicular moles was diagnosed with a recurrent vesicular mole on ultrasonography (USG) and had very low β-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) values. During suction evacuation no vesicles were seen and on repeat USG the patient was diagnosed to have fibroid uterus. She was discharged at request and advised to undergo MRI to rule out choriocarcinoma. The MRI was interpreted as fibroid uterus with degeneration. After 3 weeks of suction evacuation, the patient presented with acute abdomen. She underwent emergency laparotomy for haemoperitoneum and was diagnosed as invasive mole with perforation; total hysterectomy was performed. Her β-HCG after laparotomy was more than 200,000 mIU/L, and the histopathological examination revealed choriocarcinoma. When methotrxate, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (MAC) therapy was advised, the patient initially received methotrexate monotherapy; after three cycles her β-HCG started rising after an initial drop, and the patient required four cycles of EMACO to achieve remission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JIPMER, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Papa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dasari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006465:Hemoperitoneum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human