A challenging alfa-fetoprotein in a cirrhotic patient

A 57-year-old Italian man was admitted to our Hospital for in- vestigation of a progressively raising alfa-fetoprotein (AFP) on the background of chronic hepatitis B infection. At abdominal imag- ing, liver morphology was suspected for advanced fibrosis but with- out any focal lesion. Clinical and ultrasonographic examinations were negative for testicular masses. When the patient was screened for gastroesophageal varices, upper intestinal endoscopy did not show signs of portal hypertension, while it revealed a gastric lesion which was histologically characterized as hepatoid adenocarcino- ma of the stomach (HAS), with strong immunohistochemical posi- tivity for AFP. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy and AFP fell within the normal range. This is a very rare case in which AFP-producing gastric cancer (AFPPGC), in the form of HAS, presented in a patient with chronic liver disease. Physicians should be particularly aware of AFPPGC when following patients with liver disorders due to the common use of AFP in this setting. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2014, 77, 66-67).