Unusually High Levels of CA19-9 Associated with Mature Cystic Teratoma of the Ovary

Abstract

Introduction. Mature cystic teratoma is the benign tumor of the ovary. CA19-9 levels, although a marker of pancreatic malignancy, have been found to be raised in large ovarian mature cystic teratomas. Case Report. We report a case of a young female who had unusually high levels of CA19-9 in the blood associated with large ovarian mature cystic teratoma. The levels returned to normal 12 weeks after cystectomy was performed. Conclusion . This case highlights the fact that although raised tumor marker may be associated with a benign pathology thorough evaluation to rule out malignancy still must be done.