The diagnostic superiority of the HE-4 marker over CA-125 and CA 19-9 in the differentiation of a large pelvic tumor – a case report

The HE-4 protein is a promising specific marker for the diagnosis of malignant pelvic tumors. The paper presents the case of a 41-year-old patient with a multi-chamber ovarian tumor several centimeters in diameter suspected to be a primary ovarian cancer or a metastatic one of gastrointestinal origin. The value of the HE-4 marker which is highly specific for an ovarian cancer was within normal limits and amounted to 24.33 pmol/L. The patient underwent surgery involving the unilateral removal of adnexa and the greater omentum during which the sample from the second ovary was collected. Histologic examination revealed ovarian endometriosis; however, diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract did not reveal any abnormalities. The case presented also confirms the excellent sensitivity of the HE-4 marker in very difficult clinical cases, as well as its utility in the differential diagnosis of advanced endometriosis and malignant ovarian diseases.