[Ferritin levels of ascites and the contents of cystic ovarian tumors--possibilities of ferritin production and secretion by malignant tumor cells].

In this paper, we presented an interesting case with a cystic ovarian tumor, which consisted of the mucinous cystadenoma and the mucinous cystadenocarcinoma separated by a partition. The determination of ferritin concentrations in the both displayed ferritin levels of 87.5 ng/ml in the former and 14,812.0 ng/ml in latter respectively. This fact suggested the production of ferritin by the malignant tumor cells. To clarify this possibility, measurement of ferritin levels in the content of cystic ovarian tumors in fifteen cases and in the ascites of various origin in sixty-five cases was done. This study also supported a possibility that malignant tumor cells produce and/or secrete much more ferritin into the body fluid than benign tumor cells.