Conclusion
These preliminary results suggest that an abnormal CgA and normal pituitary magnetic resonance imaging favor the diagnosis of EAS, but normal tumor markers do not exclude the diagnosis.
Methods
Serum ProCT, NProCT, and CgA were measured in six patients with occult EAS diagnosed by IPSS, 25 CD patients, and 11 patients with histologically proven EAS.
Objective
The aim of the study was to evaluate the ability of serum CgA, CT, ProCT, or NProCT values to distinguish CD from EAS. Design and setting: We conducted a prospective pilot study at a clinical research center. Subjects and
Results
Nine EAS patients (53%) had at least one value above the reference range, including CgA alone (n = 4), ProCT alone (n = 3), CgA and ProCT (n = 1), and NProCT and ProCT (n = 1). Of nine (36%) CD patients with one or two abnormal values, seven had increased ProCT only, one had increased NProCT only, and one had increased CgA and ProCT. CgA had a positive predictive value of 83% and a negative predictive value of 70% for the diagnosis of EAS; other markers showed less discrimination. On pituitary magnetic resonance imaging, no EAS patient had an abnormality, whereas 21 of 25 patients with CD had a mass.