[Succinate dehydrogenase-deficient tumors--a novel mechanism of tumor formation]

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is a heterotetrameric enzyme complex participating in the Krebs cycle and electron transfer of oxidative phosphorylation. These tumors, discovered during the past 15 years, often occur in young patients and include 15% of paragangliomas, 7% of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), and <1% of renal cell carcinomas and pituitary adenomas. SDH-deficient tumors have lost SDH complex activity via bi-allelic genomic losses or epigenetic silencing. This deficiency is oncogenic, activating pseudohypoxia signaling. SDH deficiency has to be suspected in the above-cited tumor types presenting at a young age. Immunohistochemical testing of tumor tissue for SDHB loss is diagnostic.