Incidentally detected primary squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney: Case series with review of the literature

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney is a rare malignancy, usually not suspected clinically because of the lack of any pathognomic sign and ambiguous clinical and radiological features, and thus, patients present at advanced stages resulting in poor prognosis. We report here four cases of incidentally diagnosed primary renal squamous cell carcinoma that were treated at our hospital. The mean age of the patients (two females and one male aged above 60 years, except one male whose age was 25 years) was 60 years. Both the males and one of the females had a history of multiple renal calculi, and the other female had staghorn calculus. Interestingly, renal carcinoma was not suspected clinically in all these patients. In one case, a computerized tomography scan (CT scan) showed suspicious mass. All underwent nephrectomy for the non-functioning kidney. In only two cases, tumor was identified on gross examination, whereas the other two only showed a distorted pelvis. Our case series emphasizes the need for pelvicalyceal biopsy during diagnosis and treatment for long-standing nephrolithiasis and thorough sampling of nephrectomy specimens of such patients to rule out malignancy.