A 63-year-old male complained of right upper abdominal pain and jaundice. Laboratory data on admission showed hyperbilirubinemia, elevation of biliary enzymes and an extraordinarily high value of serum CA19-9 (60,000 U/ml). Diagnostic imaging modalities including abdominal ultrasonogram, abdominal CT and PTC suggested a stone impaction of the common bile duct. Jaundice subsided after PTC-drainage in association with decreasing serum CA19-9 value, which returned to the normal level six weeks later. Spontaneous delivery of the stone via the fistula was confirmed by cholangiography through the drainage tube. Though there are few reports of such a high serum CA19-9 level, the possibility of benign biliary tract disease should be considered in patients showing an extraordinarily high serum CA19-9 value.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Murohisa et al. (1992) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched one closely related paper. Consider it for comparative context: