A Spanish version of the Family Assessment Device

Introduction  

This paper presents the results of a study on the psychometric properties of an authorized Spanish version of the McMaster Family Assessment Device, a self-report measure of family functioning.     

Glomeruloid haemangioma is not always associated with POEMS syndrome

Glomeruloid haemangioma is considered a specific marker of POEMS ( p olyneuropathy, o rganomegaly, e ndocrinopathy, M -protein and s kin changes) syndrome and it is usually but not always associated with multicentric Castleman's disease. We report a 78-year-old man who presented with a single, red-violet soft nodule with superficial telangiectases on the scalp. Histopathologically, the lesion consisted of lobules of coiled aggregated capillaries that involved the lumina of dilated vascular structures, mimicking renal glomeruli. A collagenous stroma separated the capillary lobules, and eosinophilic, periodic-acid–Schiff positive globules of varying sizes and shapes were seen within the cytoplasm of endothelial cells. Immunohistochemical studies with antibodies against IgA and IgG, and against the kappa and lambda light chains of immunoglobulins showed immunoreactivity within the eosinophilic globules. Results of complete blood count, liver, renal and thyroid function tests, fasting blood sugar measurement, serum levels of oestradiol, testosterone, prolactin and cortisol, serum protein electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis and immunofixation yielded normal or negative results. No Bence–Jones proteinuria was found in a sample from a 24-h urine collection. To our knowledge, only two cases of glomeruloid haemangioma have been previously reported in patients without POEMS syndrome. We describe the third case of glomeruloid haemangioma in a patient without features of POEMS syndrome.     

The genetic and epigenetic basis of ependymoma

Introduction  

Although ependymoma is the third most common pediatric brain tumor, we know little about the genetic/epigenetic basis of its initiation, maintenance, or progression. This is due in part to the heterogeneity of the disease, as well as the small sample size of the cohorts analyzed in most studies.