CASE REPORTS   

Minerva Gastroenterologica e Dietologica 2006 December;52(4):437-40

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Absence of gene mutations in a case of concomitant presence of carcinoid of the ampulla of vater pheochromocytoma and Von Recklinghausen disease

Olivero G. ¹, Durazzo M. ², Bertello A. ¹, Volante M. ³, Pellicano R. ¹, Bini R. ¹

¹ Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences University of Turin, Turin, Italy 2 Department of Internal Medicine University of Turin, Turin, Italy 3 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology University of Turin, Turin, Italy 4 Department of Gastro-Hepatology, Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy

The rare association between Von Recklin-ghausen’s disease (VRD) and tumours other than in central nervous system is well recognized. However, the concomitance of VRD, a carcinoid of the ampulla of Vater, and a pheochromocytoma has been described very rarely in literature. Furthermore, the possible role of the genes usually involved in multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes, in this association, is unclear. We report the case of a patient affected by VRD and extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma, operated on in the past for a carcinoid of the ampulla of Vater. To determine if genes involved in MEN syndromes might play a role in this particular triad, we investigated the presence of somatic or germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene and menin gene by non isotopic polymerase chain reaction single stranded conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and heteroduplex gel electro-phoresis. The results demonstrated that no somatic or germline mutations in the MEN-1 and MEN-2 genes were involved in the pathogenesis of these tumours.