[A case of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma with high production of carbohydrate antigen (CA19-9)].

A 75-year-old female had loss of appetite, left hypochondrial and back pain. An X-ray and a computed tomogram of both lungs showed multiple small granular shadows. By Tc-labelled bone scintigram, multiple uptakes were found. Since high serum CA19-9 was obtained, pancreatic or bile duct cancer with multiple lung and bone metastasis was suspected. The autopsy revealed, small nodules in both lungs were well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, bronchiolo-alveolar type, and immunohistologically, tumor cells were stained positively for CA19-9. Since CA19-9 exists in normal bronchial glands and bronchiole, high level of serum CA19-9 in our patient may be derived from the neoplastic bronchiolar epithelium.