1. VHL-Related Neuroendocrine Neoplasms And Beyond: An Israeli Specialized Center Real-Life Report
Auryan Szalat, et al. Endocr Pract. 2020 Oct;26(10):1131-1142. doi: 10.4158/EP-2020-0220.
Objective: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is a rare and complex disease. In 1996, we described a 3 generation VHL 2A kindred with 11 mutation carriers. We aim to share our experience regarding the long-term follow-up of this family and the management of all our other VHL patients focusing on frequently encountered neuroendocrine neoplasms: pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNEN). Methods: All VHL patients in follow-up at our tertiary center from 1980 to 2019 were identified. Clinical, laboratory, imaging, and therapeutic characteristics were retrospectively analyzed. Results: We identified 32 VHL patients in 16 different families, 7/16 were classified as VHL 2 subtype. In the previously described family, the 4 initially asymptomatic carriers developed a neuroendocrine tumor; 7 new children were born, 3 of them being mutation carriers; 2 patients died, 1 due to metastatic PNEN-related liver failure. Pheochromocytoma was frequent (22/32), bilateral (13/22;59%), often diagnosed in early childhood when active screening was timely performed, associated with paraganglioma in 5/22, rarely malignant (1/22), and recurred after surgery in some cases after more than 20 years. PNEN occurred in 8/32 patients (25%), and was metastatic in 3 patients. Surgery and palliative therapy allowed relatively satisfactory outcomes. Severe disabling morbidities due to central-nervous system and ophthalmologic hemangiomas, and other rare tumors as chondrosarcoma in 2 patients and polycythemia in 1 patient were observed. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up is mandatory in VHL patients to manage the multiple debilitating morbidities and delay mortality in these complex patients.
2. Mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene and associated lesions in families with von Hippel-Lindau disease from central Europe
D Glavac, H P Neumann, C Wittke, H Jaenig, O Masek, T Streicher, F Pausch, D Engelhardt, K H Plate, H Höfler, F Chen, B Zbar, H Brauch Hum Genet. 1996 Sep;98(3):271-80. doi: 10.1007/s004390050206.
von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a dominantly inherited familial cancer syndrome predisposing to retinal, cerebellar and spinal hemangioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), pheochromocytoma and pancreatic tumors. Clinically two types of the disease can be distinguished: VHL type 1 (without pheochromocytoma) and VHL type 2 (with pheochromocytoma). We report VHL germline mutations and trends in phenotypic variation in families from central Europe. We identified 28 mutations in 53/65 (81.5%) families with 18 (64%) mutations being unique to this population. Whereas types and distribution of mutations as well as a strong correlation of missense mutations with the VHL 2 phenotype were similar to those identified in other populations, these families have provided new insights into the molecular basis for variability in the VHL 2 phenotype. Seven different missense mutations in exons 1 and 3 varied in their biological consequences from a minimal VHL 2 phenotype with pheochromocytoma only to a full VHL 2 phenotype with RCC and pancreatic lesion. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of VHL disease and its phenotypic variability. Further, we have provided rapid VHL screening for the families in central Europe, which has resulted in improved diagnosis and clinical management.
3. VHL-RELATED NEUROENDOCRINE NEOPLASMS AND BEYOND: AN ISRAELI SPECIALIZED CENTER REAL-LIFE REPORT
A Szalat, et al. Endocr Pract. 2020 Jun 23. doi: 10.4158/EP-2020-0220. Online ahead of print.
Objective: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is a rare and complex disease. We described in 1996 a three generation VHL 2A kindred with 11 mutation carriers. We aim to share our experience regarding the long-term follow-up of this family and the management of all our other VHL patients focusing on frequently encountered neuroendocrine tumors: pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNEN). Methods: All VHL patients in follow-up at our tertiary center from 1980 to 2019 were identified. Clinical, laboratory, imaging and therapeutic characteristics were retrospectively analyzed. Results: We identified 32 VHL patients in 16 different families, 7/16 were classified as VHL 2 subtype. In the previously described family, the 4 initially asymptomatic carriers developed a neuroendocrine tumor; 7 new children were born, 3 of them being mutation carriers; 2 patients died, one due to metastatic PNEN-related liver failure. Pheochromocytoma was frequent (22/32), bilateral (13/22;59%), often diagnosed in early childhood when active screening was timely performed, associated with paraganglioma in 5/22, rarely malignant (1/22) and recurred after surgery in some cases after more than 20 years. PNEN occurred in 8/32 patients (25%), and was metastatic in three. Surgery and palliative therapy allowed relatively satisfactory outcomes. Severe disabling morbidities due to central-nervous system and ophthalmologic hemangiomas, and other rare tumors as chondrosarcoma in 2 patients and polycythemia in 1 patient were observed. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up is mandatory in VHL patients to manage the multiple debilitating morbidities and delay mortality in these complex patients.
