The term for the condition in which the zygote develops into a blastocyst but the inner cell mass fails to develop is called?

The term for the condition in which the zygote develops into a blastocyst but the inner cell mass fails to develop is called?

• A. Anembryoic
• B. Blighted ovum
• C. Anembryonic
• D. Pseudocyesis

Answer: (A)

The situation describes an early pregnancy where the blastocyst forms and implants, but the inner cell mass that would become the embryo does not develop. That leaves an empty gestational sac on ultrasound, with no fetal pole. This is called anembryonic pregnancy—the embryo never forms even though a sac is present. The term used here matches that idea, indicating lack of an embryo. It’s also commonly referred to as a “blighted ovum,” but the key concept remains the absence of the embryonic development.

The situation describes an early pregnancy where the blastocyst forms and implants, but the inner cell mass that would become the embryo does not develop. That leaves an empty gestational sac on ultrasound, with no fetal pole. This is called anembryonic pregnancy—the embryo never forms even though a sac is present. The term used here matches that idea, indicating lack of an embryo. It’s also commonly referred to as a “blighted ovum,” but the key concept remains the absence of the embryonic development.