Lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma of ureter—A rare case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma (LELC) is best known to occur in the nasopharynx. When LELC occurs in the urinary tract, this extremely rare neoplasm most commonly affects the bladder but has also been reported in the renal pelvis, ureter, prostate [1], and urethra [2]. We present a case of LELC arising in the right proximal ureter of a 64‐year‐old male patient with hydronephrosis and nausea. Computed tomography demonstrated right ureter tumor. On biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with infiltrating urothelial carcinoma. An operation consisting of right nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff removal was carried out. The pathologic examination showed pure subtype of LELC, pT3N0. Unlike lymphoepithelioma in the nasopharynx, immunohistochemical analysis of this urinary LELC was negative for the Epstein–Barr virus. No disease progression was noted at 6 months’ follow‐up. Only eight previous cases of LELC involving the ureter have been reported, and a review of the available literature and a summary of ureter cases are presented here. This is the first report of a ureteral LELC case and third urothelial LELC cases [3] in Taiwan.

Characterization of Inflammatory (Lymphoepithelioma-like) Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Study of 8 Cases

“…Lymphoepitheliomalike carcinoma (LELC) is defined as a tumor composed of large undifferentiated epithelial cells with a predominant lymphoplasmacytic component. These tumors are reported to occur in several organs, including nasopharynx, 3 salivary glands, 4 lungs, 5,6 and stomach, 7 and also have been uncommonly reported in trachea, 8 lacrimal glands, 9 ureters, 10 urinary bladder, 11,12 uterine cervix, 13 vagina, 14 ovaries, 15 breast, 16 soft tissue, 17 and skin. 18 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been shown to be strongly associated with LELCs of the nasopharynx, 19 stomach, 20 salivary glands, 4 lungs, 5,6 and thymus 21 in the form of integration of the viral genome in the tumor cell nuclei.…”

A Case of Primary Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma of the Bladder With Review

“…LELC had similar histological features with lymphoepithelioma but primarily occurred in other organs, such as the esophagus [ 3 ], thymus [ 4 ], lungs [ 5 ], stomach [ 6 ], and liver [ 7 ]. LELC in the urinary system is rare, most common in the bladder, followed by the renal pelvis [ 10 ], ureter [ 11 ], and urethra [ 12 ].…”

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the bladder: a case report

“…At endoscopy, the tumor is often unifocal, small, and has a polypoid form [ 1 , 2 ]. Our case had the same clinical and endoscopic characteristics described in the literature.…”

“…The primary urothelial LELC was described for the first time by Zukerberg et al in 1991 [ 1 ]. The LELC is a tumor that rarely reaches the urinary tract: there were only 80 cases reported in the bladder, 10 cases in the ureter, and 7 cases in the renal pelvis [ 2 ].…”