Chronic Bronchitis with Fungal Infection Presenting with Marked Elevation of Serum Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9: a Case Report

Overview

Journal Int J Clin Exp Pathol

Specialty Pathology

Date 2014 Oct 23

PMID 25337284

Authors

Ping Han

Wei Yan

Yi Luo

Wei Tu

Jia-Yi He

Jing-Mei Liu

Jin Gong

Yun-Wu Wang

Meng-Ke Li

De-An Tian

Huan-Jun Huang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is the most frequently applied serum tumor marker for diagnosis of cancers in the digestive organs. However, some patients with benign diseases can have elevated serum levels of CA19-9 as well. The current study presents a 55-year-old female who was admitted to our hospital for further evaluation of a nodular cavity shadow in the right lower lobe and clarification of the cause of the marked elevation of serum CA19-9 levels. Abdominal MRI and gastrointestinal endoscopy did not find any malignancy. As lung cancer cannot be excluded in this patient, a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was carried, intraoperative and postoperative biopsy analysis both suggested chronic bronchitis with fungal infection (due to Histoplasma capsulatum or Penicillium marneffei) and organization. Immunohistochemistry showed marked positive staining for CA19-9 in the damaged lung tissue. The CA19-9 levels quickly returned to the normal range following lobe resection. Therefore, the marked elevation of serum CA19-9 levels, in this case, may have resulted from the chronic bronchitis with fungal infection.

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