[Massive placental hemorrhage in partial molar pregnancy due to hypotriploidy (68,XX)--prenatal diagnosis and clinical course].

BACKGROUND: Triploidy describes the presence of threefold haploid chromosome set and is a frequent cause of early abortion. Only few pregnancies reach the second trimester. CASE REPORT: Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus in the 28th week of gestation with a hypotriploidy and with characteristic ultrasonographic features is presented. An enlarged placenta with molar changes, an oligohydramnion, severe growth retardation and minor cardiac anomalies were observed by ultrasound. Before prenatal karyotyping could be performed, immediate cesarian section was necessary due to massive intraplacentar hemorrhage resulting in a decrease of the hemoglobin level. The diagnosis of triploidy was confirmed postnatally by cytogenetic analysis of lymphocytes, the child died after 3 days. DISCUSSION: Ultrasonographic and clinical features for the diagnosis of triploidy are presented. Etiology of the rare karyotype 68,XX is discussed.