[A case of alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric carcinoma with unique macroscopical configuration]

A gastric carcinoma with unique macroscopical configuration was resected from a 63-year-old male patient. Serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was markedly elevated (19,000 ng/ml), and AFP-positive cells were found in the carcinomatous tissues. The cytoplasm of the carcinoma cells appeared to be watery-clear by light microscopy, however, electron microscopy revealed abundant amorphous substances in their cytoplasmic matrix. The unique macroscopical configuration of the gastric carcinoma may reflect its biological resemblance to hepatocellular carcinoma. Such a case may be rare, but AFP production, per se, seems to be a rather universal phenomenon of gastric carcinomas.