[The course of hydatidiform moles, followed by the radio-immunological estimation of choriogonadotrophin (author's transl)].

The evolution of 50 hydatidiform moles was followed through repeated radioimmunoassays of choriogonadotropin (hCG), either in urine or plasma. In 37 cases a spontaneous regular decrease was observed, but it generally slowed down after the first week. In fact, only 30% of the total number of moles examined cleared up spontaneously within a month and 54% within 8 weeks. In 12 cases a diagnosis of retention of trophoblastic tissue was made: three times during the first month of evolution on the basis of a stagnation of the decreasing curve. In the 9 cases without radioimmunoassay of hCG between the 10th and 40th days after evacuation, the diagnosis was not made until after two months. The specific assay of hCG with an anti beta-hCG antiserum enables the resolution of diagnostic problems raised by the cross-reaction of hypopituitary LH when using the classic antiserum and particularly the differential diagnosis between the retention of trophoblastic tissue and a beginning pregnancy immediately following a mole, or a high level of LH after castration.