[Prenatal diagnosis of triploidy].

In two pregnant women the diagnosis fetal triploidy was made by transabdominal villous biopsy at 20 and 21 weeks. Chromosomal analysis revealed a 69, XXX respectively 69, XXY karyotype. The diagnosis was suspected because of fetal growth retardation and a large vesicular placenta on sonographic examination. One patient had bilateral multilocular ovarian cysts. She had an eclamptic seizure at 22 weeks. In both patients labour was induced by intravenous prostaglandins. One fetus had a small spina bifida, the other fetus had no congenital malformations. Microscopy of both placentas showed a partial mole. A short description is given of the abnormalities associated with triploidy.