Biomedical subjects

M Sparagana

Publications and source records attributed to M Sparagana.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1988

Late recurrence of benign pheochromocytomas: the necessity for long-term follow-up.

Two patients who had removal of seemingly benign pheochromocytomas had recurrences 10 and 14 years later despite normal catecholamine excretion for 7 and 9 years postoperatively. The first patient returned with a myocardial infarction and an apparently solitary recurrence; the second patient with a stroke and metastatic disease. Both patients had recurrence of hypertension and increased catecholamine excretion. They were given phenoxybenzamine and are doing satisfactorily 7 and 9 years after their recurrences. Such patients should be followed after surgery for 15 or more years for early detection of recurrences. Prompt therapy should reduce the risk of undesirable complications.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMed1988

Episodic ectopic ACTH syndrome associated with pulmonary infarctions.

The etiology of the ectopic ACTH syndrome, associated with certain tumors, is unclear. The ectopic ACTH syndrome was diagnosed in our patient by the characteristic clinical and laboratory findings. Shortly after admission, pulmonary infarctions were documented by lung scans and computed tomography. After treatment with anticoagulants, his plasma ACTH level and its suppressibility became normal. There was no evidence of a tumor. The ectopic ACTH syndrome recurred one year later in conjunction with another episode of pulmonary infarctions. During anticoagulant therapy his infarctions cleared and his plasma ACTH level normalized. In the five years since the onset, no tumor has been found, and plasma ACTH level remains normal and suppressible. We propose that our patient's pulmonary infarctions stimulated pulmonary ACTH production, leading to Cushing's syndrome.

ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic↗

PubMed1987

An unusual pheochromocytoma associated with an androgen secreting adrenocortical adenoma. Evaluation of its polypeptide hormone, catecholamine, and enzyme characteristics.

Our patient had a left suprarenal mass. His blood pressure was normal, but his urinary catecholamines (CA), vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), total metanephrines (TMn) and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5HIAA) were elevated. In addition, he had elevated, nonsuppressible urinary 17-ketosteroids (17KS) and androsterone, but his urinary 17-hydroxycorticoids (17OHCS) and free cortisol were normal, as were his plasma cortisol and ACTH. After resection of the suprarenal mass, the patient's urinary hormone values reverted to normal. The mass contained a pheochromocytoma and an adrenocortical adenoma. The pheochromocytoma was unusual in that it contained very little norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) and an abundance of epinephrine (E) despite normal enzyme concentrations. Electron micrographs showed primarily E granules with few of the NE-type. The immunoperoxidase histochemical stains for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and serotonin (S) were strongly positive. The patient's blood pressure may have been normal because his pheochromocytoma secreted E, VIP, or S. The associated adrenocortical adenoma produced no symptoms and was probably coincidental.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1979