Von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHL), also known as Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder with multisystem involvement. It is characterized by visceral cysts and benign tumors with potential for subsequent malignant transformation. It is a type of phakomatosis that results from a mutation in the Von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 3p25.3. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms associated with VHL disease include headaches, problems with balance and walking, dizziness, weakness of the limbs, vision problems, and high blood pressure. Conditions associated with VHL disease include angiomatosis, hemangioblastomas, pheochromocytoma, renal cell carcinoma, pancreatic cysts (pancreatic serous cystadenoma), endolymphatic sac tumor, and bilateral papillary cystadenomas of the epididymis (men) or broad ligament of the uterus (women). Angiomatosis occurs in 37.2% of patients presenting with VHL disease and usually occurs in the retina. As a result, loss of vision is very common. However, other organs can be affected: strokes, heart attacks, and cardiovascular disease are common additional symptoms. Approximately 40% of VHL disease presents with CNS hemangioblastomas and they are present in around 60-80%. Spinal hemangioblastomas are found in 13-59% of VHL disease and are specific because 80% are found in VHL disease. Although all of these tumours are common in VHL disease, around half of cases present with only one tumour type. Pathogenesis The disease is caused by mutations of the Von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL) gene on the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p25-26). There are over 1500 germline mutations and somatic mutations found in VHL disease. Every cell in the body has 2 copies of every gene (bar those found in the sex chromosomes, X and Y). In VHL disease, one copy of the VHL gene has a mutation and produces a faulty VHL protein (pVHL). However, the second copy still produces a functional protein. The condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner - one copy of the faulty gene is sufficient to increase the risk of developing tumours. Approximately 20% of cases of VHL disease are found in individuals without a family history, known as de novo mutations. An inherited mutation of the VHL gene is responsible for the remaining 80 percent of cases. 30-40% of mutations in the VHL gene consist of 50-250kb deletion mutations that remove either part of the gene or the whole gene and flanking regions of DNA. The remaining 60-70% of VHL disease is caused by the truncation of pVHL