Case Reports : Normalization of Elevated CA 19-9 Level after Treatment in a Patient with the Nodular Bronchiectatic Form of Mycobacterium abscessus Lung Disease

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a widely-used tumor marker in patients with pancreatic cancer. However, some patients with respiratory disease also exhibit elevated serum CA 19-9 levels. We report a case of normalization of elevated serum CA 19-9 levels after treatment of the nodular bronchiectatic form of Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease. A 40-year-old man visited our hospital because of chronic cough and sputum. A computed tomography scan revealed severe bronchiectasis in the right upper and right middle lobes. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were repeatedly isolated and identified as M. abscessus. The serum CA 19-9 level was elevated to 142.35 U/mL (normal range,