Four patients with partial hyatidiform mole managed at the Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, are described. The diagnosis of blighted ovum or missed abortion was made on the sonographic findings prior to suction evacuation. The dominant features in these cases consisted of a relatively large central transonic area bearing the appearance of an empty gestational sac and surrounded by a thick rim of low-level placenta-like echoes; in contrast with the case of the blighted ovum, a well-defined echogenic sac wall is absent. In another 9 patients with molar pregnancy managed during the same period, the more typical 'snow-storm' vesicular appearance was present. It was concluded that the anembryonic appearance described should alert the sonologist and clinician to the possible diagnosis of partial hydatitiform mole. The evacuated material from the uterine cavity should be examined morphologically and if possible cytogenetically.