Renal masses found to contain macroscopic fatty elements on CT or MRI imaging can generally be classified as benign angiomyolipomas.
Rarely, renal cell carcinomas may also contain evidence of macroscopic fat. When true adipocytic elements are present, this is generally due to a process of osseous metaplasia in which both fat cells and calcification are co-localized within the mass. We present a patient with a large papillary renal cell carcinoma containing abundant fat with sparse, punctate calcification remote from the fatty elements on imaging. This report highlights the need for radiologists to maintain caution when diagnosing renal angiomyolipomas on the basis of macroscopic fat and reviews the current literature on fat-containing renal masses.
Written by:
Wasser EJ, Shyn PB, Riveros-Angel M, Sadow CA, Steele GS, Silverman SG. Are you the author?
Division of Abdominal Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Reference: Abdom Imaging. 2012 Jun 15. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1007/s00261-012-9921-3
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22699696
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