Von Hippel-Lindau disease and erythrocytosis: radioimmunoassay of erythropoietin in cyst fluid from a brainstem hemangioblastoma

Neurology. 1991 May;41(5):753-4. doi: 10.1212/wnl.41.5.753.

Abstract

A 59-year-old woman with von Hippel-Lindau disease developed erythrocytosis and a recurrent intracranial hemangioblastoma. Radioimmunoassay showed an elevated level of erythropoietin in her serum. Cyst fluid from the tumor also contained erythropoietin, concentrated a thousandfold relative to the serum level. Production of erythropoietin by hemangioblastomas may explain the erythrocytosis present in some patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Brain Neoplasms / complications*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Brain Stem / pathology*
  • Erythropoietin / analysis*
  • Female
  • Hemangiosarcoma / complications*
  • Hemangiosarcoma / pathology
  • Hemangiosarcoma / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Polycythemia / complications*
  • Polycythemia / physiopathology
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • von Hippel-Lindau Disease / complications*
  • von Hippel-Lindau Disease / pathology
  • von Hippel-Lindau Disease / physiopathology

Substances

  • Erythropoietin