Metanephric adenoma and solid variant of papillary renal cell carcinoma: Common and distinctive features - Abstract

AIMS: To evaluate morphological and immunohistochemical (IHC) features helpful in distinguishing metanephric adenoma (MA) from solid papillary renal cell carcinoma (s-PRCC).

METHODS AND RESULTS: We present a detailed study of 21 MA and 23 s-PRCC. The two entities exhibited significant similarities, both being well-circumscribed tumours composed of tightly packed small cells arranged in solid sheets or ill-defined tubules, often presenting glomeruloid bodies, psammoma bodies and dystrophic calcification, and showing overlapping immunoreactivity for S100, CD57 and CK7. Conversely, most MA were non-encapsulated, whereas most s-PRCC showed a thick fibrous pseudocapsule; MA cells had scanty cytoplasm and a high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio in comparison to s-PRCC, where occasional tumour cells showed abundant cytoplasm and high nuclear grade. Polypoid branching fronds were common in MA, but absent in s-PRCC; multifocality and papillary hyperplasia/adenoma were seen only in s-PRCC. MA were positive for WT1 and negative for EMA and alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR); s-PRCC were positive for EMA and AMACR and negative for WT1.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite overlapping features, careful morphological and architectural evaluation should result in accurate diagnosis of most MA and s-PRCC. In challenging cases, IHC stains for WT1, EMA and AMACR may help in distinguishing these two entities.

Written by:
Mantoan Padilha M, Billis A, Allende D, Zhou M, Magi-Galluzzi C.   Are you the author?
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Anatomic Pathology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.

Reference: Histopathology. 2013 May;62(6):941-53.
doi: 10.1111/his.12106


PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23551615

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