Outcome of pregnancies occurring within 1 year of hydatidiform mole

Objective: To determine the outcome of subsequent pregnancies in patients w ith partial or complete molar pregnancy who conceive before completing the recommended hCG follow-up of at least 6 months. Methods: Retrospective record review of patients with partial or complete m ole who conceived before the standard gonadotropin follow-up of 6 months wa s completed during 1980-1998. Results: Sixty-seven patients with molar pregnancy who conceived before com pletion of hCG follow-up were identified. Thirty-five (52.2%) patients had a prior partial mole, and 32 (47.8%) had a prior complete mole. The mean in terval from first achieving undetectable hCG level to new pregnancy was 3.1 and 3.4 months in patients with partial and complete mole, respectively. E leven patients underwent elective termination, and 12 were lost to follow-u p. Of the remaining 44 patients, 33 (75.0%) had live births, 10 had spontan eous abortions, and one had an ectopic pregnancy. A viable pregnancy outcom e was achieved in 20 (83.3%) of 24 patients with partial mole and 13 (65.0% ) of 20 patients with complete mole. None of the patients developed any evi dence of postmolar persistent gestational trophoblastic tumor. None of the live births had any detectable fetal anomalies. Conclusion: The risk of persistent tumor is low and reproductive outcome is favorable once undetectable hCG levels are achieved. Pregnancies occurring before the completion of recommended hCG follow-up may be allowed to conti nue under careful surveillance. (Obstet Gynecol 1999; 94:588-90. (C) 1999 b y The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.).