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A rational diagnostic approach to the “phantom hCG” and other clinical scenarios in which a patient is thought to be pregnant but is not

2021; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 15; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1177/26334941211016412

2633-4941

Oluwafunmilayo Oyatogun, Mandeep Sandhu, Stephanie Barata-Kirby, Erin Tuller, Danny J. Schust,

Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics

The scenario in which a patient tests positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the absence of pregnancy can pose a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians. The term "phantom hCG" refers to persistently positive hCG levels on diagnostic testing in a nonpregnant patient and such results often lead to a false diagnosis of malignancy and subsequent inappropriate treatment with chemotherapy or hysterectomy. There remains a need for a consistent and rational diagnostic approach to the "phantom hCG." This article aims to review the different etiologies of positive serum hCG testing in nonpregnant subjects and concludes with a practical, stepwise diagnostic approach to assist clinicians encountering this clinical dilemma.