Normalization of Elevated CA 19-9 Level after Treatment in a Patient with the Nodular Bronchiectatic Form of Mycobacterium abscessus Lung Disease.
Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a widely-used tumor marker in patients with pancreatic cancer. However, some patients with respiratory disease also exhibit elevated serum CA 19-9 levels. We report a case of normalization of elevated serum CA 19-9 levels after treatment of the nodular bronchiectatic form of Mycobacterium ab scessus lung disease. A 40-year-old man visited our hospital because of chronic cough and sputum. A computed tomography scan revealed severe bronchiectasis in the right upper and right middle lobes. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were repeatedly isolated and identified as M. abscessus. The serum CA 19-9 level was elevated to 142.35 U/mL (normal range, <37 U/mL). Surgical resection was performed because of failure of sputum conversion after antibiotic treatment. The serum CA 19-9 level returned to the normal range after surgery. This case suggested that serum CA 19-9 levels could be elevated in patients with the nodular bronchiectatic form of M. abscessus lung disease.
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Boksoon
B
Chang
Seo Goo
SG
Han
Wooyoul
W
Kim
Yousang
Y
Ko
Junwhi
J
Song
Goohyeon
G
Hong
Jung Seop
JS
Eom
Ji Hyun
JH
Lee
Byung Woo
BW
Jhun
Won-Jung
WJ
Koh
Bronchiectasis; CA 19-9 Antigen; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria