Adrenocortical carcinoma secreting cortisol, androgens and aldosterone: a case report.

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis and presents with mass effects and less often with signs of hormone excess (approximately 60% of all adrenocortical carcinoma's). Hormonally active adrenocortical carcinomas most commonly secrete cortisol while the co-secretion of multiple steroid hormones is rare.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 59 year-old woman with a medical history of hyperaldosteronism due to a right adrenal adenoma.

Dilated cardiomyopathy as the predominant feature of Cushing's syndrome.

Cushing's syndrome, resulting from exposure to excessive amounts of circulating glucocorticoids, is accompanied with a high mortality risk mostly due to the cardiovascular complications. Cardiac involvement is mainly associated with left ventricular hypertrophy. We report the case of a patient who presented with dilated cardiomyopathy as the predominant feature of Cushing's syndrome, which was fully reversed after proper surgical treatment.

Embolization as an alternative treatment of insulinoma in a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome.

Insulinoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor, most commonly originating from the pancreas, which is either sporadic or familial as a component of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome (MEN1). It is characterized by increased insulin secretion leading to hypoglycemia. Surgical removal is considered the treatment of choice, with limited side effects and relatively low morbidity and mortality, both being improved by the laparoscopic procedure.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A in two families with the familial medullary thyroid carcinoma associated G533C mutation of the RET proto-oncogene.

Introduction: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder, associated with a cluster of germline gain-of-function mutations of the RET proto-oncogene (RET), mainly in exons 10-15. The G533C mutation in exon 8 of the RET is rare and has been mainly related to the familial medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Patients-methods: We describe the RET G533C mutation in exon 8 of the RET in two unrelated female index patients, with MEN2A phenotype, consisting of pheochromocytoma which was the presenting feature and medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Novel germline mutations of the MEN1 gene in Greek families with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Introduction: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder associated with mutations of the MEN1 gene and characterized by the combined occurrence of tumours of the parathyroid glands, the pancreatic islet cells and the anterior pituitary.

Aim: To identify MEN1 gene mutations and characterize clinical manifestations in Greek patients with MEN1.

Patients And Methods: We studied four unrelated index patients with MEN1, 17 relatives and 100 control subjects.

Dialysate magnesium level and blood pressure.

Background: We investigated the way dialysate magnesium (dMg) concentrations could affect blood pressure (BP) during hemodialysis (HD).

Methods: Eight HD patients underwent four midweek HD treatments consecutively, using, during each four-hour HD session, one of the following four dialysate formulations, in randomized order, which differed only with regard to dMg and dialysate calcium (dCa) concentrations (in mmol/L): 0.75 dMg, 1.