Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Excerpt

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a group of tumors defined by abnormal trophoblastic proliferation. Trophoblasts produce human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). GTD is divided into hydatidiform moles (HM), which contain villi, and other trophoblastic neoplasms, which lack villi. The nonmolar or malignant forms of GTD are called gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) and include the invasive mole, choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT), and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT). These malignancies can occur weeks or even years following any pregnancy but occur most commonly after a molar pregnancy. This article focuses on the benign forms of GTD. For information on malignant trophoblastic disease, please refer to the gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) article.