Girl Connection, December 2007

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, April 2008

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, August 2008

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, June 2008

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, October 2008

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, November 2008

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, February 2009

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, June 2009

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. Teens, Sex and Technology

Girl Connection, August 2009

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. Relationship Bridge

Clinicopathologic and molecular analysis of a choroidal pigmented schwannoma in the context of a PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome.

PURPOSE: To report the first case of choroidal schwannoma in a patient affected by PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) and investigate the molecular involvement of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and neurofibromin 2 (NF2) genes in this rare intraocular tumor. DESIGN: Observational case report. PARTICIPANT: A 10-year-old girl diagnosed with PHTS. METHODS: The enucleated specimen underwent histologic, immunohistochemical, and transmission electronic microscopy. The expression of PTEN and NF2 and their protein products were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Somatic mutations of PTEN and NF2, as well as allelic loss, were investigated by direct sequencing of DNA extracted from the tumor. PTEN epigenetic silencing was investigated by pyrosequencing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Histopathologic and molecular characterization of a choroidal pigmented schwannoma. RESULTS: Histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic analysis demonstrated features consistent with a pigmented cellular schwannoma of the choroid. We found no loss of heterozygosity at the genomic level for the PTEN germline mutation and no promoter hypermethylation or other somatic intragenic mutations. However, we observed an approximate 40% reduction of PTEN expression at both the mRNA and the protein level, indicating that the tumor was nonetheless functionally deficient for PTEN. Although DNA sequencing of NF2 failed to identify any pathologic variants, its expression was abolished within the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first description of a pigmented choroidal schwannoma in the context of a PHTS. This rare tumor showed a unique combination of reduction of PTEN and absence of NF2 expression.

Girl Connection, October 2009

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. 11 Components of Female Responsive Practice

Girl Connection, December 2009

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. 11 Components of Female Responsive Practice

Girl Connection, February 2010

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women; Anxiety and Economic Uncertainty

Girl Connection, April 2010

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women; Anxiety and Economic Uncertainty

Girl Connection, June 2010

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women; Anxiety and Economic Uncertainty