Flow cytometry used to distinguish between complete and partial hydatidiform moles.

Cells prepared from fresh tissue from a normal conception, and three complete hydatidiform moles (CHMs), were shown to be diploid by flow cytometry, while triploid populations were identified in tissue from two partial hydatidiform moles (PHMs). Similar results were found in cells from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material. In nine cases where cytogenetic analysis was carried out this correlated with the results from flow cytometry. Using flow cytometry we were able to show that two cases which were pathologically complete were in fact diploid, despite the finding of trisomy at one locus in the molar tissue using biochemical markers. The most likely explanation of apparent trisomy of the enzymes in the molar tissue was contamination by maternal tissue.