All pharmacy tests were positive, but she wasn’t pregnant

Most of the time, the embryo does not form. In cases where the embryo develops, it has genetic alterations that result in malformations making it unviable, leading to its death in the early stages of pregnancy. Sue Yazaki Sun, president of the National Commission Specialized in Gestational Trophoblastic Disease of the Brazilian Federation of Associations in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Febrasgo) explains that the body reacts as if there was a pregnancy since the tissue of the placenta is growing disorderly. The HCG hormone levels rise, causing pregnancy-like symptoms to appear and pharmacy tests to show positive results for pregnancy.
There may be a complete mole or an incomplete mole. One has the formation of the embryo and the placenta is completely diseased, while in the other, there is no formation of the embryo. However, in both cases, this molar tissue ends up producing a lot of beta HCG, leading to high levels in blood tests. It also interferes with the thyroid function, causing nausea and vomiting in the early stages. Raquel Magalhães, a gynecologist at the Nove de Julho Hospital, points out that although rare, this condition can bring complications to women’s health such as hemorrhage, hypovolemic shock, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, cardiac arrhythmia, ovarian torsion, and pulmonary embolism.
Long-term, some patients may develop persistent gestational trophoblastic disease, which requires close monitoring as it can evolve into malignant forms. Fortunately, with proper treatment and monitoring, the cure rate is very high, says Maurício Abrão, a gynecologist at BP – A Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo. The initial treatment usually involves removing the abnormally developed tissue and constant monitoring of HCG levels until they normalize. During this period, it is recommended that women do not get pregnant, as a new pregnancy could mask changes in tests. The waiting time is usually six months to a year.