A Rare Case of a Male with 45, XO, SRY+, ZFY+ with Short Stature and Mild Turner Stigmata

Background: Turner syndrome is hypothesized to result from haploinsufficiency of certain genes expressed from both sex chromosomes that escape X inactivation. Case Report: We present the rare case of a 4-year-old boy who was referred to the pediatric endocrinology unit for evaluation of slight growth delay. Results: Standard cytogenetic analysis showed a 45,XO karyotype. Molecular studies disclosed the presence of an intact SRY homeobox region and the ZFY region sited on the Y short arm. Other Y chromosome sequences which are normally found on the short arm of chromosome Y (p) were absent and their exact location on a different chromosome remained unclear. Subsequently, FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization) analysis failed to detect any Y sequences, while haplotype analysis indicated that the present X chromosome was of paternal origin. Conclusion: Phenotype-genotype correlation studies were consistent with a male patient presenting with short stature and some of the Turner's syndrome stigmata. The consequences for the patients with this chromosomal abnormality and treatment with recombinant growth hormone are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel

Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease: A case report in a 7-year-old girl

Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) is a rare cause of Cushing syndrome in children, often occurring in association with Carney complex. We report a case of Cushing syndrome due to isolated non-familial PPNAD. The child presented with typical clinical characteristics, growth retardation and obesity. Liddle's test was positive but micronodular appearance was not evident on CT scan and MRI; selective venous sampling revealed higher cortisol concentrations in the right adrenal vein. The patient underwent a laparoscopic right adrenalectomy. Postoperatively, hypercortisolism signs disappeared but after the second year a slight increase in urinary cortisol was noted and the patient developed osteopenia. Although significant catch-up growth occurred postoperatively, height did not normalize over the next 2 years. When she entered puberty, treatment with a luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone agonist was initiated and growth hormone was added. Almost 5 years later a left adrenalectomy was also performed. Thereafter, complete disease remission was observed, the patient's growth accelerated and her osteopenia reversed. © 2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York 2011

Fossil moonseeds from the Paleogene of West Gondwana (Patagonia, Argentina)

Premise of the Study: The fossil record is critical for testing biogeographic hypotheses. Menispermaceae (moonseeds) are a widespread family with a rich fossil record and alternative hypotheses related to their origin and diversification. The family is well-represented in Cenozoic deposits of the northern hemisphere, but the record in the southern hemisphere is sparse. Filling in the southern record of moonseeds will improve our ability to evaluate alternative biogeographic hypotheses. Methods: Fossils were collected from the Salamanca (early Paleocene, Danian) and the Huitrera (early Eocene, Ypresian) formations in Chubut Province, Argentina. We photographed them using light microscopy, epifluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy and compared the fossils with similar extant and fossil Menispermaceae using herbarium specimens and published literature. Key Results: We describe fossil leaves and endocarps attributed to Menispermaceae from Argentinean Patagonia. The leaves are identified to the family, and the endocarps are further identified to the tribe Cissampelideae. The Salamancan endocarp is assigned to the extant genus Stephania. These fossils significantly expand the known range of Menispermaceae in South America, and they include the oldest (ca. 64 Ma) unequivocal evidence of the family worldwide. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of West Gondwana in the evolution of Menispermaceae during the Paleogene. Currently, the fossil record does not discern between a Laurasian or Gondwanan origin; however, it does demonstrate that Menispermaceae grew well outside the tropics by the early Paleocene. The endocarps’ affinity with Cissampelideae suggests that diversification of the family was well underway by the earliest Paleocene.Fil: Jud, Nathan A.. Cornell University; Estados UnidosFil: Iglesias, Ari. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Wilf, Peter. State University of Pennsylvania; Estados UnidosFil: Gandolfo, Maria Alejandra. Cornell University; Estados Unido

Early seed plants from Western Gondwana: Paleobiogeographical and ecological implications based on Tournaisian (Lower Carboniferous) records from Argentina

peer reviewe