Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma (PPGL): A Misdiagnosed Cause of Hypertension during Pregnancy.

Hypertension (HT) during pregnancy is not an infrequent obstetric problem, reaching a prevalence of 5-10%. This condition is highly associated with both maternal and fetal complications if not precisely diagnosed and managed. Even though primary HT, obesity, and preeclampsia are the main causes of HT in this period, other less familiar conditions must be considered during the investigation.

Germline genetic variants in pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma: single-center experience.

Pheochromocytoma and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare neuroendocrine tumors carrying 25-40% pathogenic germline gene variants (PGVs). We evaluated clinical, laboratory, and germline molecular profile of 115 patients with pathologic (14 patients were relatives from 8 different families recruited for genetic survey) confirmed PPGL followed in our institution. Patients with classic MEN2A/MEN2B phenotypes and at-risk relatives underwent direct analysis of proto-oncogene, and the remaining had samples submitted to complete next-generation sequencing aiming 23 PPGL-related genes: and .

The Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma syndrome: an overview on mechanisms, diagnosis and management.

Pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas (PPGL) are rare, metastatic, and potentially fatal neuroendocrine tumors, often neglected because they present symptoms similar to other prevailing clinical conditions such panic syndrome, thyrotoxicosis, anxiety, hypoglycemia, etc., delaying diagnosis and treatment. The rate of diagnosis of PPGL has been increasing with the improvement in the measurement of catecholamine metabolites and the expanding availability of imaging procedures.

No association between vitamin D status and COVID-19 infection in São Paulo, Brazil.

In recent years the immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D, a steroid hormone, have been extensively studied. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the question arose as to 25(OH)D status would be related to susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, since several studies pointed out a higher prevalence and severity of the disease in populations with low levels of 25(OH)D. Thus, we investigated the 25(OH)D levels in adults "Detected" positive for SARS CoV-2 by RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) test, and in negative controls, "not Detected", using the Fleury Group's examination database, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Long term follow-up of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas submitted to endoscopic endonasal surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the endoscopic transsphenoidal technique for growth hormone (GH)-secreting adenomas.

Methods: A retrospective analysis based on medical records of 23 acromegalic patients submitted to endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Biochemical control was defined as basal GH < 1ng/ml, nadir GH < 0.

Sorafenib for the Treatment of Progressive Metastatic Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Efficacy and Safety Analysis.

Background: Treatment of advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) was recently improved with the approval of vandetanib and cabozantinib. However, there is still a need to explore sequential therapy with more than one tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and to explore alternative therapies when vandetanib and cabozantinib are not available. This study reports the authors' experience with sorafenib as a treatment for advanced MTC.

Comprehensive assessment of the disputed RET Y791F variant shows no association with medullary thyroid carcinoma susceptibility.

Accurate interpretation of germline mutations of the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene is vital for the proper recommendation of preventive thyroidectomy in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)-prone carriers. To gain information regarding the most disputed variant of RET, ATA-A Y791F, we sequenced blood DNA samples from a cohort of 2904 cancer-free elderly individuals (1261 via Sanger sequencing and 1643 via whole-exome/genome sequencing). We also accessed the exome sequences of an additional 8069 individuals from non-cancer-related laboratories and public databanks as well as genetic results from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) project.

Prevalence of Leptospira interrogans antibodies in free-ranging Tayassu pecari of the Southern Pantanal, Brazil, an ecosystem where wildlife and cattle interact.

We surveyed a wild population of white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) in the Brazilian Pantanal for evidence of Leptospira interrogans. Serum samples from 71 free-ranging T. pecari were obtained between 2003 and 2005 in the southern Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul state.

Functional variability of the human cortical motor map: electrical stimulation findings in perirolandic epilepsy surgery.

The purpose of this study was to assess the cortical representation of sensorimotor functions in patients undergoing perirolandic epilepsy surgery, focusing on somatotopy, mosaicism, and variability of function in relation to the classic motor homunculus. The authors studied 36 patients in whom intraoperative or extraoperative electrical cortical stimulation to map motor functions was performed. A computer program was devised to register electrode number, stimulation parameters, and response to each stimulus.