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Partial molar pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection occurring as a result of diploid sperm usage

  • ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Partial molar pregnancies are rare conceptions characterized by having 69 rather than 46 chromosomes, the additional chromosome complement usually occurring as a result of fertilization of the ovum by two sperm. Although assisted conception with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) should prevent the development of a partial molar pregnancy, occasional cases have been described after assisted conception using ICSI. The objective of this study was to investigate the cause of partial molar pregnancy in a couple who had undertaken assisted conception with ICSI.

Methods

Fluorescent microsatellite genotyping of DNA from the couple and tissue from their partial molar pregnancy was performed in order to confirm diagnosis and investigate the origin of the additional chromosome set.

Results

Genotyping confirmed that the partial molar tissue was triploid with an additional chromosome complement from the father. Genotyping of additional loci proximal to the centromere demonstrated that the two paternal sets of chromosomes originated in a single sperm with a double complement of paternal DNA resulting from non-reduction at the second meiotic division.

Conclusions

This study confirms that partial molar pregnancy may occur after assisted conception with ICSI and that this occurs as a result of fertilization with a diploid sperm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK

    Philip Savage, Neil Sebire, Tom Dalton, Michael J. Seckl & Rosemary A. Fisher

  2. Department of Reproductive Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK

    Anna Carby

  3. Institute of Reproductive & Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK

    Rosemary A. Fisher

  4. Consultant in Medical Oncology, Imperial College NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, London, W6 8RF, UK

    Philip Savage

Authors
  1. Philip Savage
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  2. Neil Sebire
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  3. Tom Dalton
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  4. Anna Carby
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  5. Michael J. Seckl
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  6. Rosemary A. Fisher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philip Savage.

Additional information

Capsule Triploid, partial molar pregnancies that develop after assisted conception using intracytoplasmic sperm injection result from the use of a diploid sperm, rather than failure of the fertilization process.

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Savage, P., Sebire, N., Dalton, T. et al. Partial molar pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection occurring as a result of diploid sperm usage. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 761–764 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0002-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0002-5

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