Ovarian Carcinoma and Serum Lactic Dehydrogenase Levels

Abstract

Preoperative and postopertive levels of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in 218 patients with various gynaecologic diseases. Among 119 patients with benign gynaecologic diseases, the LDH levels were in normal limit, except for two patients of endometriosis and benign cystic teratoma who showed silght elevated LDH values. The LDH levels were elevated in 36/51 patients (70.6 per cent) with ovarian car cinoma. All 8 patients with malignant germ cell tumors showed abnormal LDH levels, es pecially the average LDH value of dysgerminoma was about three times higher than the maximum normal value. The incidence of abnormal LDH in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma was higher than in patients with stage I and II ovarian carcinoma (78.4 to 50.0 per cent). There were no elevations of LDH levels in patients with CIN, cervical and endometrial carcinoma. The results from this study suggest that in the pres ence of a pelvic mass together with an elevated LDH level, diagnosis of ovarian malig nancy should be considered. (Thai J Obstet Gynaecol 1989 ; 1 : 57-62)