Infantile choriocarcinoma with cutaneous tumors. An additional case and review of the literature.

Choriocarcinoma is a malignant growth of trophoblastic cells characterized by the secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin. Primary choriocarcinoma arising in the placenta during a seemingly normal gestation is rare. Very few choriocarcinomas occurring simultaneously in mother and child have been reported so far. We describe an additional case of placental choriocarcinoma metastasizing to the newborn and showing many different cutaneous tumors. The primary tumor was found in the placenta. In the newborn, diagnosis was performed by skin biopsy only a few days after birth (by optic and electron microscopy). Immunohistochemical localization of human chorionic gonadotropin was performed by the immunoperoxidase technic with the use of monoclonal antibodies. This report describes an additional case and summarizes previously reported cases of placental choriocarcinoma metastasizing to the infant, as well as cases of skin metastases from malignant gestational trophoblastic disease.