The spectrum of primary renal tumors in which clear cells may appear is revisited in this review.
The pathologist's viewpoint of this topic is pertinent because not all the tumors with clear cells are carcinomas and not all renal cell carcinomas with clear cells are clear cell renal cell carcinomas. In fact, some of them are distinct entities according to the new WHO classification. The morphological approach is combined with genetics. Renal cell carcinoma related to von Hippel-Lindau disease is reviewed first because many of the genetic disorders underlying this disease are also present in sporadic, conventional renal cell clear cell carcinomas. Subsequently, conventional renal cell clear cell carcinomas, familial, non von Hippel-Lindau-associated renal cell carcinomas, translocation carcinomas, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinomas, carcinomas associated to tuberous sclerosis and to Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, chromophobe renal cell carcinomas, carcinomas associated with end-stage renal disease, and clear cell tubulopapillary carcinomas are reviewed. Finally, epithelioid angiomyolipoma is also considered in this review.
Written by:
López JI. Are you the author?
Department of Pathology, Cruces University Hospital, BioCruces Research Institute, University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV), Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain.
Reference: Pathol Res Pract. 2013 Mar;209(3):137-46.
doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2013.01.007
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23433880
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