Catecholamine induced cardiomyopathy in pheochromocytoma

Catecholamine induced cardiomyopathy in the setting of pheochromocytoma is an unusual clinical entity. Earlier studies have reported left ventricular dysfunction in around 10% of subjects with pheochromocytoma. [1] Catecholamine induced vasoconstriction, direct toxic effect of byproducts of catecholamine degradation and direct receptor-mediated mechanisms are thought to contribute to cardiomyopathy in subjects with pheochromocytoma. The presentation remains a diagnostic challenge as patients may already have hypertensive heart disease and acute coronary syndrome on account of uncontrolled secondary hypertension. We report a case of a 42-year-old male, who presented with features of pheochromocytoma induced cardiomyopathy

Mazabraud syndrome

A 25 year old lady presented with pain and swelling of left thigh. On examination she was found to have tenderness of left femur with a separate soft tissue swelling within the thigh muscle. Further evaluation revealed expansile bony lesion on X-ray of left tibia and multiple hot spots on bone scan suggestive of fibrous dysplasia. The soft tissue swelling on excision and histopathological examination was found to be intramuscular myxoma. The combination of the above two, called Mazabraud syndrome is being reported

Our experience with papillary thyroid microcancer

Background: Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) describes a focus of papillary thyroid cancer that is less than 1 cm in size. These tumors are frequently found on histopathological examination of thyroid specimens, operated upon for an indication other than suspected malignancy. Materials and Methods: From 2005 to 2012, 94 of 1300 thyroidectomy specimens in our institution were found to have PTMC. Of these, 77 were isolated PTMC while the others were associated with other differentiated cancers. We studied their clinicopathologic features, treatment and long-term outcome. Results: There were 18 men and 59 women (the male: female ratio was 1:3), their mean age was 44 ± 10.5 years (range: 18-72 years). Multinodular goiter was the most common indication for surgery. Malignancy was suspected in only 31.4% cases. The mean tumor size was 4.1 ± 2.3 mm. Nearly 17% cases had slightly larger tumors measuring >6 but <10 mm. Multifocal tumor was found in 44.1% of cases and among these, multifocal disease restricted to a single lobe was found in 19.5%. Eleven patients (14.2%) had cervical lymph node metastasis, 3 (3.9%) had extra thyroid tumor extension and 2 (2.6%) had evidence of vascular invasion. One patient (1.3%) presented with bone metastasis.Majority of the patients (79.2%) underwent total thyroidectomy with or without lymph node dissection. Sixteen patients (20.7%) who had initially undergone hemithyroidectomy went on to have completion thyroidectomy. Twenty nine patients (36.8%) also received radioactive iodine.The mean duration of follow-up was 20.2 ± 13.5 months. On follow-up one patient developed cervical lymph node recurrence and one died due to a second malignancy. Conclusions: PTMC is often found as an incidental finding on the thyroidectomy specimen. Sometimes they present with regional lymph node metastasis and very rarely with distant metastasis. They have a good prognosis similar to papillary thyroid carcinoma

P.Arg82Leu von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene mutation among three members of a family with familial bilateral pheochromocytoma in India: molecular analysis and in silico characterization.

Various missense mutations in the VHL gene have been reported among patients with familial bilateral pheochromocytoma. However, the p.Arg82Leu mutation in the VHL gene described here among patients with familial bilateral pheochromocytoma, has never been reported previously in a germline configuration. Interestingly, long-term follow-up of these patients indicated that the mutation might have had little impact on the normal function of the VHL gene, since all of them have remained asymptomatic. We further attempted to correlate this information with the results obtained by in silico analysis of this mutation using SIFT, PhD-SNP SVM profile, MutPred, PolyPhen2, and SNPs&GO prediction tools. To gain, new mechanistic insight into the structural effect, we mapped the mutation on to 3D structure (PDB ID 1LM8). Further, we analyzed the structural level changes in time scale level with respect to native and mutant protein complexes by using 12 ns molecular dynamics simulation method. Though these methods predict the mutation to have a pathogenic potential, it remains to be seen if these patients will eventually develop symptomatic disease

Solvent accessible surface of the native (Black color) and mutant protein p.Arg82Leu (Red color) over the entire simulation.

<p>Solvent accessible surface of the native (Black color) and mutant protein p.Arg82Leu (Red color) over the entire simulation.</p

CT scan showing bilateral adrenal tumors.

<p>CT scan showing bilateral adrenal tumors.</p

Electropherograms showing a wild type and the p.Arg82Leu mutation in the index patient.

<p>Electropherograms showing a wild type and the p.Arg82Leu mutation in the index patient.</p

Average number of inter molecular hydrogen bonds in the native (Black color) and mutant protein p.Arg82Leu (Red color).

<p>The ordinate is number of hydrogen bond and the abscissa is time (ps).</p

Evaluating the effect of the mutation by HOPE sever.

<p>Evaluating the effect of the mutation by HOPE sever.</p

Current family tree (2012) showing the affected members; Each generation tested is marked with roman numeral; squares represent male and circles female; blank squares and circles represent members who were not tested; checkered were tested and found negative and blocked were positive for mutation.

<p>Current family tree (2012) showing the affected members; Each generation tested is marked with roman numeral; squares represent male and circles female; blank squares and circles represent members who were not tested; checkered were tested and found negative and blocked were positive for mutation.</p