title: Highly elevated serum levels of CA 19-9 in choledocholithiasis: a case report.
abstract: We present a case of a 79-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with pain in the right upper abdominal quadrate radiated to the back, jaundice, fever and chills. The laboratory tests showed serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels of 99.070 U/ml (normal values: 0-37 U/ml). The rest of the biochemistry showed alkaline phosphatase of 550 IU/l, direct bilirubin: 17.5 mg/dl, total bilirubin: 28.4 mg/dl. Abdominal sonography demonstrated dilated common bile duct. Two weeks postoperatively, the carbohydrate antigen 19-9 fell to 970 U/ml and returned within normal range (31 U/ml) two months later. Furthermore, the magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography performed postoperatively demonstrated normal configuration of the biliary tree and the common bile duct.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, School of Medicine Ioannina Greece. gmarcouizos@freemail.gr
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcouizos
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ignatiadou
authors.forename: Georgios E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Papanikolaou
authors.forename: Dimosthenis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziogas
authors.forename: Michail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fatouros