Hyperamylasemia with papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary

A case of a 49-year-old housewife with persistent hyperamylasemia, intractable amylase-rich ascites, and papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovaries is presented. The hyperamylasemia was attributable to neoplastic production of salivary-type isoamylase by analysis of isoamylase in the serum, urine, ascites, primary tumor of the ovaries and metastatic tumor of the lymph nodes. Cellular localization of amylase in the tumor tissues was demonstrated immunohistochemically in the primary and metastatic tumors using an indirect immunoperoxidase method.