A 50-Year-Old Man with Fulminant Alpha-Fetoprotein-Producing Gastric Carcinoma and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Am J Case Rep. 2021 Mar 5:22:e928369. doi: 10.12659/AJCR.928369.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric carcinoma (AFPGC) is a rare but aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is usually associated with several tumors, including gastric cancer, but only a few cases have been reported in patients with AFPGC. This report describes a case of advanced-stage AFPGC associated with DIC in a 50-year-old White man. CASE REPORT A 50-year-old, White, non-smoker man was hospitalized for a recent left hemiparesis associated with anorexia and loss of weigh. Clinically, we had multiple, hard, irregular, subcutaneous nodules, left supraclavicular lymph nodes, and a left, complete hemiparesis. Laboratory tests showed a DIC. A whole-body CT scan documented multiple lymph node, liver, subcutaneous, bone, and muscular metastases, a right femoral venous thrombosis, a left popliteal arterial thrombosis, and splenic and renal infarcts. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy of a subcutaneous lesion. Histology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of a metastasis from a high-grade AFPGC. Before starting any systemic treatment, the patient presented a massive intraventricular brain hemorrhage, quickly leading to his death. CONCLUSIONS We report a case of metastatic AFPGC associated with a DIC and multiple venous and arterial thromboses resulting in a fatal intracerebral hemorrhage. AFPGC is a distinctive and very difficult to diagnose tumor showing aggressive behavior and poor prognosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma*
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation* / etiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Stomach Neoplasms* / complications
  • Thrombosis*
  • alpha-Fetoproteins

Substances

  • alpha-Fetoproteins