Although CA 19-9 is a tumour marker, high levels of CA 19-9 have also been reported in benign conditions such as acute cholangitis or pancreatitis. We present here a 56-year-old woman with complicated cholecystitis due to gallstone and elevated serum CA19-9 levels. After cholecystectomy procedure CA19-9 level returned to normal. The level of CA 19-9 should never be regarded as a gold standard but rather as a helpful indicator when searching pancreatic and biliary malignancies. ©2007, Firat University, Medical Faculty