title: [Highly elevated alphafetoprotein and hepatic cirrhosis. It is not always hepatocarcinoma].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alphafetoprotein assay contributes considerably to the diagnosis of hepatocarcinoma in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. We report the case of a cirrhotic patient whose elevated alphafetoprotein level was not associated with liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alphafetoprotein level was followed in a 64-year-old man with hepatic cirrhosis. A rise from 415 to 7690 ng/ml between June and November 1997 led to the discovery of adenocarcinoma of the cardia with liver metastasis. This extrahepatic adenocarcinoma was probably the cause of inappropriate secretion of alphafetoprotein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary liver tumors are obviously not the only source of elevated alphafetoprotein levels. High levels can also be observed in certain, notably digestive tract and embryonary, cancers. Gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a recently described histological entity first described in 1970. Typically, there is an inappropriate secretion of alphafetoprotein due to a secondary liver tumor.
authors: Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Alcoologie, CHU de Nimes.
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Bourgaux
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ponsoda
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Raffanel
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Ribard
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Pouderoux
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Balmes
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins