Carbohydrate antigen CA19-9 is commonly used in the diagnosis of pancreatic and biliary malignancies. However, increases in its level in benign conditions such as acute cholangitis or pancreatitis have also been reported. A 79-year-old woman presented with cholangitis and a pancreatic pseudocyst while showing elevation of CA19-9 up to 35,500 U/mL. The patient was adequately treated and at two months’ follow-up the CA19-9 level had returned to normal.
AlbertM.B., SteinbergW.M., HenryJ.P.: Elevated serum levels of tumor marker CA19-9 in acute cholangitis.Dig Dis Sci, 33: 1223–1225, 1988.
2.
MurohisaT., SugayaH., TetsukaI., SuzukiT., HaradaT.: A case of common bile duct stone with cholangitis presenting an extraordinarily high serum CA19-9 value.Int Med, 31: 516–520, 1992.
3.
TurtelP.S., KreelI., IsraelJ., FragerD., BermanD.: Elevated CA19-9 in a case of Mirizzi's syndrome.Am J Gastroenterol, 87: 355–357, 1992.
4.
SteinbergW.: Clinical utility of the CA19-9 tumor-associated antigen.Am J Gastroenterol, 85: 350–355, 1990.
KimH.J., KimM.H., MyungS.J., LimB.C., ParkE.T., YooK.S., SeoD.W., LeeS.K., MinY.I.: A new strategy for the application of CA19-9 in the differentiation of pancreaticobiliary cancer: analysis using receiver operating characteristic curve.Am J Gastroenterol, 94: 1941–1946, 1999.
7.
PatelA.H., HarnoisD.M., KleeG.G., LaRussoN.F., GoresG.J.: The utility of CA19-9 in the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in patients without primary sclerosing cholangitis.Am J Gastroenterol, 95: 204–207, 2000.
8.
AdachiY., IsoY., MoriyamaM., KasaiT., HashimotoH.: Increased serum CA19-9 in patients with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis.Hepato-Gastroenterology, 45: 77–80, 1998.
9.
LeeK.C., YamazakiO., HoriiK., HambaH., HigakiI., HirataS., InoueT.: Mirizzi syndrome caused by xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis: report of a case.Surg Today, 27: 757–761, 1997.
10.
TolliverB.A., O'BrienB.L.: Elevated tumor-associated antigen CA19-9 in a patient with an enlarged pancreas: does it always imply malignancy?Southern Med J, 90: 89–90, 1997.
