
- Chromophobe renal cell carcioma is an extremely rare cancer in a kidney allograft, in recipients of kidney transplant.
- This case highlights the importance of regular ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging of the graft.
- Regular monitoring is not only necessary for monitoring the function of the graft but also for early detection of neoplasms in the kidney.
Kidney transplantation is a standard treatment option for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, renal transplantation also requires life-long immunosuppressive therapy. This increases the risk of cancer recurrence and de novo tumour formation. Studies have further shown that cancer is a leading cause of death in recipients of kidney transplant. This article describes the case of a patient who developed chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, 3 years after he got a kidney transplant. A living related donor had donated the kidney to the patient.
Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of a kidney allograft is a rare type of neoplasm that is prevalent in 0.22-0.25% of all kidney transplant recipients. The rare type of neoplasm is asymptomatic and is often incidentally found on routine examination. In this case, the patient’s graft function was impaired at the time the tumour was detected. There are three main subtypes of renal cell carcinoma clear cell (70%), papillary (10–15%), and chromophobe (5%). It was first described by Thoenes in 1985, and was classified as a form of papillary RCC.
Doctors further advised a renal allograft biopsy. Histopathological analysis was significant for chronic inflammation and chronic graft rejection. The graft biopsy did not differentiate between oncocytoma and chromophobe. Similarly, because of an impaired graft function, neoplastic changes in the graft and chronic rejection, doctors decided to perform a transplantectomy. In addition to this, repeat histopathological examination confirmed the presence of eosinophilic type of chromophobe carcinoma.
Source: American Journal of Case Reports