title: CA 19-9 can be a useful tumor marker in ovarian dermoid cysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the importance of CA-19-9 as an aiding tool in the diagnosis of mature cystic teratomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We found 43 cases of dermoid cysts that were operated on at our clinic, and whose tumor marker CA 19-9 was studied before the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven of 43 patients (86%) had elevated CA 19-9 levels. Using Pearson's correlation, the average diameter and weight of the tumor had a strong possitive correlation with the level of CA 19-9 (p < 0.01). Thirty-one out of the 43 (72%) cases had a dermoid cyst in the right ovary, nine (20.9%) in the left ovary, and three (7%) had bilateral dermoid cysts. Right predominancy was very high among the patients (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that besides ultrasonography and computed tomography, serum CA 19-9 level could be a useful tumor marker in the diagnosis of dermoid cysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Medical Faculty, Kahramanmaras, Turkey. acoskun@ksu.edu.tr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kiran
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen