Von Hippel Lindau & brain angioma & Meningioma

My younger sister (she is 49, I am 51) and I have both been struggling with ill health for years. She has terrible vertigo and headaches and I have chronic daily headache/migraines. I have an incidental angioma in my R. frontal lobe and she has 2 meningiomas. We both also have 8 hemangiomas on our livers, one of hers is quite large. I have had 2 CT scans and both negative for adrenal tumors ( I have been diagnosed with primary aldosteronism). She was just diagnosed with a kidney tumor, very small, that is not a cyst. Her medical team is watching and waiting for 6 months (she is in Canada). Both our parents had brain tumors, our mother's was adenocarcinoma and she died of it at age of 55. Our father (in Canada) tumor was wrapped around his optical nerve, or near it, and when they removed the tumor he lost his sight. He later died (mid-30's) after a blow to the head at the surgical place (aneurysm? stroke?). We know little about our father's medical condition because of divorce. Sorry so long!! Question is, do you think it is possible we may have VHL? What type of tests are done to diagnosis this? Thank you,

[Michael Lim, MD]

It sounds like you're family has gone through a lot of medical issues.  In general, having multiple members of your family with tumors and vascular malformations can be suggestive of a hereditary disorder.  However, a more detailed investigation is needed along with genetic studies.  I suggest that you start with your primary care doctor and possibly see a geneticist.