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Overview
The Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, under the direction of Karel Pacak, continues to focus on neuroendocrine disorders, particularly pheochromocytoma. The Section used micro-computed tomography for early diagnosis of ectopic pheochromocytoma tumor in the liver of the nude mouse, a technique that may be applied to the human and that would be an excellent way to diagnose early small metastases. In addition, members of the Section noted that mutations of the SDHB gene are associated with one-half of all malignancies originating from extra-adrenal paragangliomas. The high frequency of SDHB germline mutations among patients with malignant disease, particularly when originating from adrenal paraganglioma, may justify giving high priority to SDHB germline mutation testing in such patients.