Paraneoplastic Phenomena in a Patient With Locally Destructive and Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 80% of all primary renal neoplasms in United States causing approximately 65 000 new cases of RCC and 14 000 deaths each year. Symptoms of RCC typically include weight loss and night sweats but may also feature paraneoplastic phenomena in advanced stages as well as flank pain, gross hematuria, scrotal varicocele, inferior vena cava pathology, and a palpable abdominal mass. In this article, we present the course of a patient with advanced RCC, from initial presentation through workup and to eventual diagnosis. The case features late-onset symptoms, extensive paraneoplastic phenomena, and significant physical examination findings. We also review the literature available on RCC and critically analyze inefficiencies of the workup retrospectively.

Mutations in TAX1BP3 cause dilated cardiomyopathy with septo-optic dysplasia.

We describe a Bedouin family with a novel autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by dilated cardiomyopathy and septo-optic dysplasia. Genetic analysis revealed a homozygous missense mutation in TAX1BP3, which encodes a small PDZ domain containing protein implicated in regulation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, as the causative mutation. The mutation affects a conserved residue located at the core of TAX1BP3 binding pocket and is predicted to impair the nature of a crucial hydrophobic patch, thereby interrupting the structure and stability of the protein, and its ability to interact with other proteins. TAX1BP3 is highly expressed in heart and brain and consistent with the clinical findings observed in our patients; a knockdown of TAX1BP3 causes elongation defects, enlarged pericard, and enlarged head structures in zebrafish embryos. Thus, we describe a new genetic disorder that expands the monogenic cardiomyopathy disease spectrum and suggests that TAX1BP3 is essential for heart and brain development.

Echocardiographic findings in patients with spontaneous CSF leak.

The presence of cardiovascular abnormalities in patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are not well-documented in the literature, as cardiovascular evaluation is not generally pursued if a patient does not exhibit additional clinical features suggesting an inherited connective tissue disorder. We aimed to assess this association, enrolling a consecutive group of 50 patients referred for spinal CSF leak consultation. Through echocardiographic evaluation and detailed medical history, we estimate that up to 20% of patients presenting with a spontaneous CSF leak may have some type of cardiovascular abnormality. Further, the increase in prevalence of aortic dilatation in our cohort was statistically significant in comparison to the estimated population prevalence. This supports a clinical basis for echocardiographic screening of these individuals for cardiovascular manifestations that may have otherwise gone unnoticed or evolved into a more severe manifestation.

Atrophic skin patches with abnormal elastic fibers as a presenting sign of the MASS phenotype associated with mutation in the fibrillin 1 gene.

IMPORTANCE: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a dominantly inherited disorder of connective tissue caused by mutations in the fibrillin 1 gene (FBN1). The most common skin finding in MFS is striae distensae. Particular individuals referred for suspected MFS who do not completely fulfill the MFS diagnostic criteria are classified as having a MASS phenotype. The acronym represents the following manifestations: a prolapsed mitral valve, myopia, aortic root enlargement, and skeletal and skin manifestations. Mutations in FBN1 have been shown to be associated in some cases with the MASS phenotype. Skin manifestations may be an important clue to the diagnosis of these disorders. OBSERVATIONS: We studied a patient referred for unusual atrophic skin patches on the buttocks. Results of histopathological examination and electron microscopy demonstrated markedly abnormal elastic fibers. Subsequent medical genetics evaluation led ultimately to the diagnosis of the MASS phenotype and the discovery of an underlying FBN1 mutation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Although the clinical suspicion and diagnosis of MFS and related disorders are usually established by its main associated clinical features, including ophthalmologic, skeletal, and vascular involvement, clinicians should be aware of the associated skin manifestations, including unusual atrophic patches with abnormal elastic fibers that can sometimes be the first noted sign of the genetic disorder.

More than meets the eye: The evolving phenotype of Weill-Marchesani syndrome-diagnostic confusion with geleophysic dysplasia.

The criteria for diagnosing and distinguishing between Weill-Marchesani syndrome (WMS) and geleophysic dysplasia (GD) are inexact and often overlap. We report the clinical findings and evolving phenotype for a period of 18 years in a patient whose diagnosis, and distinguishing characteristics, transformed from GD to WMS. Molecular testing demonstrated novel mutations in the ADAMTS10 gene confirming a diagnosis of autosomal recessive WMS in the proposita. We further report on phenotypic features not classically linked to WMS. These findings indicate that the Weill-Marchesani phenotype may be developed and is not always apparent in early childhood.