VHL and renal cell carcinoma: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene, characterized by visceral cysts and neoplasms including pheochromocytomas, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), pancreatic tumors, and central nervous system (CNS) hemangioblastomas, etc (1–3).