WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- In a case report published online March 25 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are observed in a male patient with anorexia nervosa (AN).
Shinichiro Ochi, M.D., from the Ehime Graduate School of Medicine in Toon, Japan, and colleagues describe the case of a 41-year-old male suffering from AN who had markedly elevated serum CEA levels that led to suspicion of malignant tumors.
The authors note that the patient was discovered not to have malignant tumors on further examination. As his clinical state of AN improved, his CEA levels decreased. His CEA levels were found to be elevated in proportion to his clinical state of AN; there was a significant association between his body mass index and serum CEA levels.
"In conclusion, this is the first and a very rare case with high serum CEA levels which [were] associated with clinical state of AN," the authors write. "Thus, we believe that when dealing with AN, tumor markers such as CEA should be considered."
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