Renal cell carcinoma with a tumor thrombus in the ureter: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCCs) is the most common malignancy of the kidney. When RCC progresses, it is known to form tumor thrombus in the renal vein and/or inferior vena cava. However, RCC does not normally form tumor thrombus in the ureter or renal pelvis.Case presentationA 43-year-old man presented to our department for the treatment of a renal tumor with asymptomatic gross hematuria. In a dynamic CT study, contrast enhancement revealed a tumor suspected to be RCC, but atypical finding as a tumor thrombus that filled the renal pelvis and the whole ureter was also observed. Nephroureterectomy was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed histopathologically as RCC.ConclusionWe report here a very rare case of RCC with a tumor thrombus in the whole ureter.

Renal Cell Carcinoma with Intraluminal Spread of the Entire Upper Urinary Tract

“…Munechika et al [3], Chen et al [4], and Fujita et al [5] reported similar cases, although the tumor extension was limited in the renal pelvis and ureter. Gulati et al [6] reported a case in which the tumor protruding from the ureteral orifice was resected transurethrally and confirmed as a clear cell RCC.…”

Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma with a Ureteral Thrombus

“… 1 , 2 In 2011, Fujita and colleagues reported a case of RCC with tumor thrombus formation in the renal pelvis and the whole ureter. 3 On histopathological analysis, all three cases were reported as ccRCC. The most recent case reported by Parikesit and colleagues in 2016 was of a mixed type between ccRCC and papillary RCC type 1.…”

Thrombus-like Tumor of Renal Cell Carcinoma Mimicking Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Kidney: A Case Report

“…Gulati et al, reported the first case of a tumor thrombus from RCC extending from the kidney down the ureter and into the lumen of the bladder 5 . Fujita et al reported another case of RCC with a tumor thrombus in the whole ureter 2 . The mechanism by which RCC metastasizes to the bladder is controversial, and three theories have been suggested 5 .…”

“…Approximately 25% to 30% of patients with renal cell carcinoma present with advanced stage disease 1 . Local renal tumor growth and extension may involve the perirenal fat, adrenal glands, renal vein, inferior vena cava, urinary collecting system and/or adjacent retroperitoneal structures, this type of tumor rarely forms in the renal pelvis nor the ureter 2 . Currently, no study has characterized Urinary Collecting System Invasion (UCSI) of RCC including thrombus-like tumor in the renal pelvis and/or ureter as a criterion for staging renal cell carcinoma 2 …”