title: Elevated β-hCG associated with aggressive Osteoblastoma.
abstract: We present a unique case of an aggressive scapular osteoblastoma that produced β-hCG as a paraneoplastic manifestation in a 20-year-old woman. Serum β-hCG was found to be elevated during presurgical workup and consequently delayed surgical resection of the increasingly painful tumor because of suspected pregnancy. The paraneoplastic production of β-hCG was later proven by positive immunohistochemical stain of β-hCG in a curettage specimen and normalization of β-hCG levels after surgical resection of the aggressive osteoblastoma. Production of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) has been reported in several carcinomas and sarcomas but, to our knowledge, it has not been reported in osteoblastoma in the English-language literature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Oncology, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 601 North Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. cmorri61@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Carol D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Meera R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hameed
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Narasimhan P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Agaram
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sinchun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018215:Osteoblastoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012540:Scapula; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D051598:Whole Body Imaging; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin; Osteoblastoma, paraneoplastic; β-hCG