Table 6.
Benign and malignant conditions associated with false positive elevations of CA 19-9 serum levels
| Organ/system | Pathologic condition | CA 19-9 range (U/ml) |
|---|---|---|
| Pancreatic diseases [16, 69, 70] | Acute pancreatitis | 3–22 |
| Chronic pancreatitis | ||
| Pancreatic abscess Pseudo-pancreatic cyst | ||
| Hepato-biliary diseases [13, 16, 71, 72] | Cholangio-carcinoma | 50–99,00 |
| Cholangitis | ||
| Choledocholithiasis | ||
| Cholelithiasis | ||
| Cirrhosis of liver Hepatitis | ||
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | ||
| Liver cyst | ||
| Liver abscess | ||
| Polycystic liver disease | ||
| GI malignancies [15–20] | Colorectal cancer Esophageal cancer | 37–100 |
| Gastric cancer | ||
| Miscellaneous [15–20, 73, 74] | Bronchitis | 112–1,338 |
| Congestive heart failure | ||
| Cystic fibrosis | ||
| Diverticulitis | ||
| Hashimoto’s thyroiditis Lung cancer | ||
| Ovarian cyst | ||
| Pleural effusion | ||
| Renal cyst | ||
| Rheumatoid arthritis |
False positive elevations of the CA 19-9 serum level have been noted in a variety of pathological conditions, most notably in the presence of obstructive jaundice. As such, CA 19-9 serum levels cannot be used to differentiate benign from malignant pancreatic diseases
U/ml unit/milliliter, GI gastrointestinal