Profound Alpha-Fetoprotein Elevation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Concomitant Cirrhosis: A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37275/bsm.v9i4.1259Keywords:
Alpha-fetoprotein, Cirrhosis, Hepatitis B, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Liver function testsAbstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer that often arises in the setting of chronic liver disease, most commonly cirrhosis. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a tumor marker frequently elevated in HCC, but its diagnostic performance varies. We present a case of HCC with concomitant cirrhosis and a significant elevation of AFP.
Case presentation: A 30-year-old male presented with hematemesis, abdominal distension, and jaundice. He had a history of heavy alcohol consumption. Physical examination revealed anemia, icterus, hepatomegaly, and palmar erythema. Laboratory investigations showed elevated AFP (>400 IU/mL), reactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anemia, coagulopathy, and liver dysfunction. Imaging studies confirmed HCC and cirrhosis. This case highlights the diagnostic value of AFP in HCC, particularly when combined with clinical and imaging findings. The patient's history of alcohol abuse and HBsAg positivity are well-established risk factors for both cirrhosis and HCC. The marked elevation of AFP, along with the characteristic imaging features, strongly supported the diagnosis of HCC.
Conclusion: AFP remains a valuable tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of HCC, especially in patients with cirrhosis. However, it is essential to interpret AFP levels in conjunction with other clinical and laboratory data to ensure accurate diagnosis and timely management.
Authors
- Fadhilaturrizqie Siregar1
- Efrida2*
- 1Specialized Residency Training of Clinical Pathology Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas/Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital, Padang, Indonesia
- 2Department of Clinical Pathology and Medical Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas/Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital, Padang, Indonesia
Corresponding author Efrida — efrida@med.unand.ac.id
Article history
- Submitted
- Accepted
- Published
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
As our aim is to disseminate original research article, hence the publishing right is a necessary one. The publishing right is needed in order to reach the agreement between the author and publisher. As the journal is fully open access, the authors will sign an exclusive license agreement.
The authors have the right to:
- Share their article in the same ways permitted to third parties under the relevant user license.
- Retain copyright, patent, trademark and other intellectual property rights including research data.
- Proper attribution and credit for the published work.
For the open access article, the publisher is granted to the following right.
- The non-exclusive right to publish the article and grant right to others.
- For the published article, the publisher applied for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
