HYDATIDIFORM MOLES ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE GESTATIONS AFTER ASSISTEDREPRODUCTION - DIAGNOSIS BY ANALYSIS OF DNA FINGERPRINT

In spite of the widespread use of assisted reproductive technology, th ere have been, to our knowledge, only two reported cases of molar preg nancies after gamete intra-fallopian transfer and five reported cases after in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. We report here a cas e of a complete hydatidiform mole in a twin pregnancy after gamete int ra-fallopian transfer, as well as a case of a complete hydatidiform mo le in a triplet: pregnancy after in-vitro fertilization and embryo tra nsfer. The genetic constitution of each conceptus was determined by ex amination of the restriction fragment length polymorphism of the DNA w ith four different single-locus probes. This analysis revealed that bo th hydatidiform moles were of androgenetic origin and probably of mono spermic origin. Moreover, the analysis confirmed that the pregnancies were dizygotic and trizygotic pregnancies respectively. The diagnostic utility of the analysis of DNA polymorphism is discussed in cases of a molar pregnancy with coexisting fetuses.