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p57 KIP2

Posted 01/08/07

p57KIP2 and the diagnosis of early complete moles

  • Early complete moles are important to identify due to the risk of post molar tumors including choriocarcinoma.
  • Morphologic assessment for cavitated villi with focal and diffuse hyperplasia of trophoblast, fibroadenoma like mesenchymal stroma and irregular villous contours resembling knuckles or toes is important.
  • The differential diagnosis includes hydropic abortus, partial mole, and an intact gestational sac mimicking a single cavitated villous.
  • Pure morphologic examination can sometimes be problematic
  • p57KIP2 has been shown to effectively distinguish between complete moles and its mimics, including partial mole.
  • This protein is paternally imprinted and only expressed from maternal derived chromosomes.
    Therefore, complete moles (which are a product of diandry), will be consistently negative, while decidua (maternal derived tissue) will show nuclear positivity serving as an internal control.
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Photos (A),( B), and (C) are from hydropic villi.
(D) is taken from a early complete mole.
These next three photographs are images from an early complete mole from our files.
(Click on pictures to open larger image in new window)
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Education