Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the peritoneal fluid and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in patients with ovarian masses.
Materials & methods: Peritoneal fluid and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were measured in 27 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma and 38 with benign ovarian tumors. Serum and peritoneal fluid LDH levels were also compared with the levels of CA-125.
Results: Both of the marker levels in ovarian cancer patients were significantly higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumors. Serous and undifferantiated carcinomas presented higher marker levels than endometrioid and mucinous carcinomas. High grade, advanced stage and positive cytology were associated with higher serum and peritoneal fluid LDH levels; there was an inefficient correlation between them but, when these two markers were used together with CA-125, sensitivity of CA-125 increased to 70%.
Conclusions: In conclusion, serum LDH can be used to discriminate adnexal mass origin and peritoneal fluid LDH may have prognostic value because of the strict relationship with advanced stage, poor histologic type, higher grade and positive abdominal cytology. Peritoneal LDH is found to be a reliable biochemical marker related to prognosis in ovarian carcinoma patients.