Review Paper: Hydatidiform mole in Calabar, Nigeria: a ten-year review

Abstract

A total of 79 patients who were managed for hydatidiform mole in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital over ten years were reviewed with the aims of establishing the incidence and assessing outcome of management. Relevant information was obtained from the case files and analyzed. The incidence of 1 in 187 of total deliveries was obtained. Most of the patients (65.5%) were between 21 and 30 years old from low socioeconomic class (75.6%) and 75.7% presented in the hospital in the third trimester of pregnancy. Anaemia (82.4%), abnormal vaginal bleeding (79.7%) and passage of vesicular mole (67.6%) were the most common presentations in the hospital. Recurrent disease occurred in 4.1%. The uterus was evacuated by electrical suction method in 42.9% while 4.1% had hysterectomy. Maternal complications included severe haemorrhage requiring blood transfusion in 25.6%, 14.9% had infections and uterine perforations occurred in 6.7%. There was no maternal dead. Problem of outpatient clinical follow up was highlighted as only 6.7% was seen at one year. Public enlightenment campaign on the need for women with symptoms suggestive of the disease to present in hospital for assessment should be mounted. High index of suspicion by the clinicians especially in those patients at risk of the disease will reduce the incidence of late or missed diagnosis.


Keywords: hydatidiform mole, pregnancy, outcome

Mary Slessor Journal of Medicine Vol. 5 (1), 2005: 72-76