HYDATIDIFORM MOLE: A STUDY OF 90 CASES

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, epidemiology, complications and management of Hydatidiform mole (HM) at the King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU), Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted covering a period of 15 years from May 1983 to May 1998. There were 90 cases of hydatidiform mole. The details of maternal characteristics, clinical presentation, tumor behavior, management and complication were studied. RESULTS: There were 40,700 deliveries during the study period giving an incidence of hydatidiform mole (HM) of 2.2/1000 deliveries. The most common clinical feature was vaginal bleeding which was noted in 81 (90%) cases. Fifty-six (62%) cases had uterus larger than dates, while in 12 (13%) cases, the uterine size was smaller than dates. Ovarian enlargement was noted in 24 (27%) cases. Complications in the form of hemorrhage occurred in 19 (21%) cases and 9 (10%) cases were complicated by cated by sepsis. The complications were more common in patients presenting late to the hospital. There were 6 (6.7%) cases of invasive mole and 3 (3.3%) cases of choriocarcinoma during the follow-ups of the study group. CONCLUSION: On the basis of this study, the incidence of hydatidiform mole is comparable to the incidence in some oriental countries. Earlier diagnosis and treatment of HM will probably result in the decrease of complications found in this study.