A 31-year-old man with hypersensitivity pneumonitis and elevated circulating Ca 15.3 level due to home furniture is reported. He was admitted with exertional dyspnea, nonproductive cough, weight loss, arthralgia, epigastric pain and fewer complaints. Pulmonary function test with spirometry showed a restrictive respiratory failure pattern. Arterial gas analysis showed normocapneic hypoxemia. He underwent extensive malignancy investigation due to very high Ca 15-3 level and suggestive malignancy symptoms but results were negative for malignancy. He was diagnosed as hypersensitivity pneumonitis with history, physical examination, biochemical and radiological findings. Elevated circulating Ca 15-3 level was returned to normal after the therapy for hypersensitivity pneumonitis. When interpreting tumor markers, clinicians should be aware that elevation of tumor markers may reflect the presence of nonmalignant diseases involving many organ systems.
Keywords: hypersensitivity pneumonitis, tumor markers