Triploidy, partial mole and dispermy. An investigation of 12 cases.

Twelve triploid abortuses were investigated to determine the origin of the additional haploid set and were retrospectively examined for the development of partial hydatidiform mole. Eight out of ten suitable triploids were diagnosed as partial mole. Dispermy was indicated as the cause of triploidy in 6 informative cases of which 3 were also partial moles. However, one diandric triploid had no features of partial mole. The problem of maternal cell contamination in triploids and the difficulty of diagnosing partial moles on pathological grounds alone are discussed.