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Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma producing alpha-fetoprotein: case report
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haseki Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Background:
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a useful tumor marker for germ cell tumors of the ovary and is valuable for both diagnosis and follow-up. However, it is very rare for an epithelial ovarian carcinoma to secrete AFP.
Case:
We report a case of a 63-year-old woman with a ovarian clear cell carcinoma with serous component of less than 10%. Both histological components were producing AFP as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. After surgery and chemotherapy, AFP decreased to normal range. The patient also had elevated CA-125 levels but the tumor was negative for CA-125 which suggested the increased CA-125 might have been due to the associated ascites.
Conclusion:
Ovarian clear cell type carcinomas rarely secrete only AFP and it might be the single marker that could be used in follow-up.
