This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology

Authoring team

Can be caused by:

  • open neural tube defects
  • gastroschisis and anterior abdominal wall defects
  • renal defects e.g. congenital nephrotic syndrome
  • bleeding in early pregnancy - even if the pregnancy does not end in miscarriage
  • intrauterine death
  • benign causes include twins, wrong dates, thin mother

Raised AFP is also used as a marker of malignancy:

  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • choriocarcinoma
  • testicular teratoma

It may also be raised in conditions such as autoimmune chronic active hepatitis.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.