Symptoms and signs for Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Executive Summary

A gestational trophoblastic disease is diagnosed based on its symptoms. The signs and symptoms of gestational trophoblastic disease experienced by the individuals help describe a medical problem. The symptoms of GTD may be similar to those of a normal pregnancy. They may also be identical to spontaneous abortion, a miscarriage, or an ectopic pregnancy.

Some of the common symptoms of the gestational trophoblastic disease include severe nausea or vomiting during pregnancy, abnormal vaginal bleeding during or after pregnancy, pain or pressure in the pelvic area, abdominal swelling, high blood pressure early in the pregnancy, a pregnancy where the baby has not moved around the expected time, a uterus that is larger than expected at a given point during the pregnancy, anaemia, sleep problems, unexplained weight loss, and anxiety or irritability. Rarely, if a cancerous GTD has increased beyond the uterus at the time of diagnosis, other symptoms may occur based on the disease location.

Signs and Symptoms of Gestational Trophoblastic

People with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease may experience the following signs or symptoms. While, in some people, there may not be any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom can be a different medical condition that is not a Gestational Trophoblastic disease.

However, the following symptoms could indicate a potential problem ^​1​–

• Severe nausea or vomiting during pregnancy
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding during or after pregnancy
• Pain or pressure in the pelvic area
• Abdominal swelling
• High blood pressure early in the pregnancy, which may include headaches or swelling of the hands and feet 
• A pregnancy where the baby has not moved around the expected time
• A uterus that is larger than expected at a given point during the pregnancy
• Anaemia, which is a low red blood cell count that can cause fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, or an irregular heartbeat
• Sleep problems
• Unexplained weight loss
• Anxiety or irritability, feeling shaky or experiencing severe sweating.

Occasionally, symptoms can appear weeks, months, or even years after a normal pregnancy and birth. Rarely, if a cancerous GTD has proliferated beyond the uterus at the time of diagnosis, other symptoms may occur based on the disease location. In this case, GTD may be misdiagnosed as some other health problem. For instance, the spread of choriocarcinoma to the brain may result in bleeding. This could be mistaken for a brain aneurysm. A human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) blood test should better help the healthcare team understand the problem.

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