Coexistence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and pheochromocytoma in three cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) with a review of the literature.

It is well known that neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is uncommonly associated with pheochromocytoma development and also, to a larger extent, with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). We herein document three cases with the rare condition of NF1 coexisting with GIST and pheochromocytoma, while one of them also has a composite tumor and another has papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance prevalences in Turkish patients with impaired fasting glucose.

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) like impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) has increased risk of progressing to diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of the study was to evaluate prevalance of IGT and type 2 DM with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in Turkish patients who had fasting glucose of 110 and 125 mg/dl. Hundred and forty-eight (67.3%) women and 72 (32.7%) men (30-65 years old with mean age of 51.3 +/- 8.7 year) who had fasting glucose range 110-125 mg/dl were evaluated with OGTT. Seventy-two patients had IGT (32.8%), 74 (33.6%) patients had type 2 diabetes and 74 (33.6%) patients had normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Mean fasting glucose and insulin levels were higher in the IGT group than in the NGT group. Mean level of total cholesterol was higher in DM than that in NGT and IGT groups. Mean triglyceride (TG) (P = 0.476), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P = 0.594), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P = 0.612), Apoproteine A (P = 0.876), Apoproteine B (P = 0.518), uric acid (P = 0.948) and ferritin (P = 0.314) were found higher in diabetic patients. Lipoproteine a (P = 0.083), fibrinogen (P = 0.175) and hsCRP (P = 0.621) levels were higher in IGT. Mean HOMA S% levels of NGT, IGT and DM were found to be 65.0 +/- 13.0%, 60.9 +/- 16.0% and 50.1 +/- 11.1%, respectively. HOMA B% levels were measured to be 80.4 +/- 29.1% in NGT, 85.3 +/- 14.59% in IGT and 60.1 +/- 10.1% in DM. Significant difference was found between IFG and DM (P = 0.043) groups. The prevalences of diabetes and IGT were found to be 33.63 and 32.7% in IFG, respectively.

Prolactin levels and examination with breast ultrasound or mammography.

OBJECTIVE: Stresses including surgery, exercise, nipple stimulation, and chest wall injury such as mechanical trauma, burns, surgery, herpes zoster of thoracic dermatomes, hypoglycaemia and acute myocardial infarction cause significant elevation of prolactin levels. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the changes in prolactin level during mammography and ultrasonographic examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-four premenopausal (mean age, 32.1+/-7.3 y) and 81 post-menopausal women (mean age, 48.3+/-8.9 y) were enrolled into the study. Premenopausal women were evaluated with ultrasound (Senographe 600 T [General Electric]) and post-menopausal women were examined with mammography (Mammomat 3000 [Siemens]). Blood samples for prolactin were taken prior to ultrasound or mammography and 15, 30 and 45 min after ultrasound or mammography. RESULTS: Mean baseline serum prolactin level was 7.2+/-0.9 ng/ml in premenopausal women before ultrasound. Mean baseline serum prolactin level was 5.4+/-0.4 ng/ml in post-menopausal women before mammography. It was found that there were no significant changes in prolactin levels after ultrasound or mammography (P > 0.05). Mean levels of baseline prolactin were statistically significant higher in premenopausal than in post-menopausal women (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Mammography and ultrasonographic examination have no acute effect on serum prolactin levels in either group. There is no need to wait before measuring the prolactin level after mammographic or ultrasonographic breast examination.