Chromophobe carcinoma of the kidney is a rare pathological entity generally smaller and asymptomatic than other renal cell carcinomas and with a lower risk of metastatic disease. We describe a case of a giant renal chromophobe carcinoma successfully treated by laparoscopy.
A 37-years-old Caucasian man presented at physical examination a rigid elastic mass in right upper abdominal quadrant. CT abdominal scan revealed an enhancing well-defined heterogeneous large mass measuring 17 × 15 cm and originating from the upper pole of the right kidney, with necrotic and solid areas within the lesion. Considering the young age of the patient and the absence of local invasiveness, despite the large size of the lesion, we decided to perform a laparoscopic transperitoneal right nephrectomy. The morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics (CK7+, CD10+, CD117+) confirmed the diagnosis of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.
Chromophobe renal cell cancer is an unusual hystological entity. The pathological diagnosis of chromophobe tumor is based on atypia with nuclear irregularities, binucleation, and nucleolar prominence. In our case reports the pathological examination showed no tumor necrosis, mitosis or sarcomatoid differentiation and perirenal tissues were free from tumor infiltration with low risk of tumor progression after surgery.
Laparoscopic approach is today considered the standard treatment for localized renal cancer. Nevertheless, the size of renal lesion represents a critical point in surgical approach because to perform a laparoscopic radical nephrectomy can be challenging even for skilled surgeons in giant renal tumors.
International journal of surgery case reports. 2020 Oct 19 [Epub ahead of print]
Giuseppe Di Buono, Salvatore Buscemi, Giulia Bonventre, Elisa Maienza, Leonardo Gulotta, Giorgio Romano, Antonino Agrusa
Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of General and Urgent Surgery, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of General and Urgent Surgery, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of General and Urgent Surgery, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of General and Urgent Surgery, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Evolutive Age, General Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of General and Urgent Surgery, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of General and Urgent Surgery, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: .