FLOW CYTOMETRIC AND CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 197 HYDATIDIFORM MOLES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CYTOMETRIC ANEUPLOIDYAND LITERATURE-REVIEW

In order to evaluate the significance of cytometric aneuploidy in mola r placentas, we analyzed 197 hydatidiform moles by flow cytometry usin g formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Of 150 complete moles (CM s), 110 were diploid, 26 were tetraploid, and 14 were aneuploid (non-t riploid/tetraploid aneuploid). Of 47 partial moles (PMs), 44 were trip loid and 3 were diploid. We could not find any histologic differences among the diploid, tetraploid, and aneuploid CMs, We found that flow c ytometric DNA analysis was very helpful to differentiate CM from PM. P ersistent diseases developed in 12 of 69 CMs (17.4%) (9 of 47 diploid and 3 of 14 tetraploid CMs) and in none of 26 PMs (0%). Four diploid a nd 2 tetraploid CMs were invasive and one each with diploid and tetrap loid CM developed choriocarcinoma and none of 8 aneuploid CMs had sequ elae; however, there was no correlation between DNA ploidy and clinica l outcome in the CMs. These results suggest that cytometric aneuploidy (non-diploidy) in CMs is not an independent predictor of persistent d isease. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.