Partial moles: a clinicopathologic study of 25 cases.

This study is based on a review of all moles diagnosed at the Kaplan Hospital in Israel from 1968 to 1977. Histologic reevaluation revealed that of a total of 72 moles, 47 (65%) were complete and 25 (35%) partial. In contrast to complete moles, about one third of the partial moles showed fetal parts. An analysis of the patient records showed smaller uteri, less vaginal bleeding, absence of severe vomiting, lower gonadotropin levels, and normal follow-up in patients with partial moles as compared with those who had complete moles. These results indicate that the partial mole is a distinct clinicopathologic entity that can be suspected by the clinician and confirmed by the pathologist on morphologic grounds, even in the absence of cytogenetic analysis.