Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Code:

NCT00001975

Conditions

Tuberous Sclerosis

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Study Details

Brief summary:

Tuberous sclerosis is a rare, hereditary disease in which patients develop multiple tumors. Although not cancerous, the tumors can affect various organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, and central nervous system, with serious medical consequences. The severity of disease varies greatly among patients, from barely detectable to fatal. This study will investigate what causes skin tumors to develop in patients with this disease.

Patients with tuberous sclerosis 18 years and older may enroll in this study. Participants will undergo a medical history and thorough skin examination by a dermatologist. Those with skin tumors will be asked to undergo biopsy (tissue removal) of up to eight lesions, under a local anesthetic, for research purposes. The biopsies will all be done the same day. The tissue samples will be used for: examination of genetic changes, measurement of certain proteins and other substances, and growing in culture to study the genetics of tuberous sclerosis.

...

Conditions

Tuberous Sclerosis

Study ID

NCT00001975

Start date

Jan 26, 2000

Status verified date

Aug 5, 2026

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients will be those already diagnosed with TSC (definite, probable, or possible) based on clinical criteria and/or genetic testing, and ranging in age from 18 to 90 years old.

The clinical features of TSC considered of major significance are: facial angiofibromas or forehead plaque, nontraumatic periungual fibromas, three or more hypomelanotic macules, shagreen patch, multiple retinal nodular hamartomas, cortical tuber, subependymal nodule, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, cardiac rhabdomyoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and renal angiomyolipoma.

The minor features of TSC are: multiple randomly distributed pits in dental enamel, hamartomatous rectal polyps, bone cysts, cerebral white matter radial migration lines, gingival fibromas, nonrenal hamartoma, retinal achromic patch, confetti skin lesions, and multiple renal cysts (5). Definite TSC is diagnosed by the presence of two major features or one major feature plus two minor features. Probable TSC is diagnosed by the presence of one major feature and one minor feature. Possible TSC is diagnosed by the presence of either one major feature or two or more minor features. Patients will not be preselected for skin lesions, but about 80% of patients with TSC are expected to have skin lesions.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Inability to give informed consent.

Tendency to keloid formation.

Allergy to anesthetics.

Bleeding abnormality.

Study Design

Enrollment

400 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

Group 1

Patients will be those already diagnosed with TSC (definite or possible)

Primary outcome measure

  • 1.Identify the tumor cells in cutaneous and mucosal tumors in patients with TSC through LOH studies on microdissected cell populations [ Time Frame: ongoing ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Recruiting

Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892

More Information

Sponsor

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Last update posted

Sep 1, 2026

Last verified

Aug 5, 2026

Keywords

  • Skin Biopsy
  • Familial Tumor Syndrome
  • Cell Growth
  • Loss of Heterozygosity
  • Cytokines
  • Natural History
  • Tuberous Sclerosis

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) on 2026-09-01.