Uremia due to occult lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys

Abdominal pain in a 5-year-old girl with bilateral nephromegaly: Answers

Renal involvement in non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a recognized development, but it mostly follows a diagnosis of lymphoma. We describe a rare case of a T-cell-type non-Hodgkin lymphoma that first presents as nephromegaly in a 5-year-old girl admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain. Further investigation revealed bilateral nephromegaly, but the results of blood tests, imaging studies, and bone marrow aspiration were inconclusive. During the second week of hospitalization, significant physical examination revealed an enlarged lymph node in the anterior cervical chains, confirming a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This case illustrates that it is important to have a high degree of suspicion in any patient presenting with unexplained enlarged kidneys without any identifiable cause because it could be the first presentation of a hematologic malignancy.

Acute tubulo-interstitiel nephritis associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma presenting as acute renal failure

Renal infiltration in malignant lymphomas may involve the interstitium but rarely causes acute renal failure. In this report, we describe a 59-year-old woman presenting with an acute renal failure due to bilateral diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's infiltration of the kidneys.

Bilateral nephromegaly simulating wilms tumor: a rare initial manifestation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A 7-year-old boy was referred with a provisional diagnosis of bilateral Wilms tumor. Peripheral smear revealed elevated leukocyte count with 90% blasts. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were hypercellular with sheets of blasts. Immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections showed a pre-B phenotype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Computerized tomographic scan of the abdomen showed moderate bilateral renal enlargement. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology of both kidneys showed blasts similar to those seen in the bone marrow. Finally, a diagnosis of pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia infiltrating both the kidneys was made. This case is being presented because of its rarity.

Precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia as a cause of a bilateral nephromegaly

Nephromegaly and non-oliguric acute renal failure is an unusual manifestation of lymphoblastic infiltration of the kidneys. We report the clinical history of a female child where a precursor B-cell lymphoblastic proliferation was diagnosed at the age of 21 months by a surgical renal biopsy for an unexplained bilateral nephromegaly. Lymphoblastic infiltration should be suspected in any patient presenting with unexplained renal failure and enlarged kidneys. The importance of renal biopsy to identify the etiology of renal failure and nephromegaly is emphasized.

Renal Involvement of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Its Prognostic Effect in Childhood

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate renal involvement in childhood lymphoma and define its prognostic effects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and four patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and renal involvement on admission to a single center between 1972 and 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. Blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, uric acid, electrolytes, and lactate dehydrogenase levels, as well as urinalysis, were evaluated. One or more of the following imaging methods were performed: intravenous urogram, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The chi2 test was used to compare the groups. The Kaplan-Meier survival method was used to calculate survival rates, and the log-rank test was used to compare groups with respect to survival. Survival rates were also compared in two different time periods (before 1991 and after 1991).

RESULTS

There were 76 boys and 28 girls with a median age of 6 (0.9-16) years. The renal infiltration pattern was nodular in 62 patients (59.6%) and diffuse in 40 patients (38.5%). Two patients had tumoral masses that originated from their kidneys (1.9%). Renal involvement was bilateral in 75 patients (72.1%); the remaining 29 patients had unilateral involvement. The overall survival rate was 42.5% with a median follow-up of 64 months. The factors that had a statistically significant impact on survival were high creatinine (p = 0.00001) and blood urea nitrogen levels (p = 0.0001), the onset of tumor lysis syndrome (p = 0.01), and the need for dialysis (p = 0.009). The survival rate was higher in the time period after 1991 (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Impaired renal function is a poor prognostic factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Renal function should therefore be monitored closely. Renal dysfunction caused by direct tumoral involvement may complicate therapy and shorten survival.

Acute renal failure as presentation of a Burkitt's lymphoma

Acute renal failure due to diffuse renal infiltration is rarely the presenting manifestation of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We report a patient with acute renal failure secondary to diffuse bilateral renal infiltration by a Burkitt's lymphoma. The presence of bilateral renal enlargement, an elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and lymphopenia should suggest the diagnosis, which can be confirmed by renal biopsy.

Association of primary renal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis

A 27-year-old male developed nonoliguric renal failure. Renal biopsy of the left kidney showed infiltration by a diffuse large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Laparoscopy, CT scans of the abdomen and thorax, and bone-marrow biopsy revealed no further manifestations of lymphoma. Primary renal NHL was diagnosed. The patient attained complete remission with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy and remained disease-free for 13 years. Eight years after his first presentation, the patient developed acute oliguric renal failure with nephrotic syndrome. Mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis was diagnosed in a biopsy of the left kidney. Chronic hemodialysis was required until cadaver kidney transplantation was successfully performed 5 years later. Although the association of NHL and glomerulonephritis has been described several times before, to our knowledge this is the first report of glomerulonephritis in primary renal lymphoma.

A case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with polyuria and acute renal insufficiency

A case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with polyuria, enlarged kidneys, and renal insufficiency is reported. The diagnosis was made by percutaneous needle biopsy of the kidney. Renal failure reversed and the kidneys regressed in size on exhibition of the first cycle of chemotherapy. The rarity of polyuria at presentation, the role of renal biopsy in the diagnosis, and the response of renal failure to specific chemotherapy are discussed.

B-cell lymphoma presenting as infiltrative renal disease

Acute renal failure is rarely the presenting manifestation of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Of the reported cases of renal insufficiency secondary to diffuse renal infiltration with lymphoma, few have presented with acute renal failure. We present a patient with acute renal failure secondary to diffuse bilateral renal infiltration by a B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The findings of an elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lymphopenia, and homogenous bilateral renal enlargement on computed tomographic (CT) imaging were important in suggesting the diagnosis of primary renal lymphoma. Renal biopsy with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis was instrumental in confirming this diagnosis.

Chronic renal failure due to kidney infiltration by Burkitt type lymphoma

Chronic renal failure due to lymphomatous infiltration is rare. We report a case of end-stage renal failure due to bilateral massive lymphomatous infiltration confined to the kidneys and pancreas. Renal insufficiency was due to interstitial fibrosis and striking tubular atrophy.

Primary renal lymphoma presenting as acute renal failure

Diffuse bilateral infiltration of the kidneys by lymphoma cells is a rare but well-documented cause of acute renal failure (ARF). Only 51 such cases have been reported, 15 of which had ARF as the initial presentation of lymphoma. The clinical and pathologic features of these 15 cases and of two additional cases reported herein are reviewed. The diagnosis should be suspected in a patient with ARF, bilateral enlargement of the kidneys, minimal proteinuria, nonspecific findings on urinalysis, and absence of features of allergic tubulointerstitial nephritis. Renal imaging techniques may suggest the possibility of lymphomatous infiltration, but only renal biopsy or autopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis. Although modern chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy usually leads to a dramatic normalization of renal function, almost all patients eventually die of widespread recurrent lymphoma, despite the absence of clinical or pathologic involvement of the kidneys at the time of death.

Renal failure due to lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys. Report of three new cases and review of the literature

Three new cases of renal failure due to lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys are described and the clinical features of 14 similar patients in the literature are reviewed. The diagnosis of renal failure secondary to lymphomatous infiltration was made by ruling out other causes of renal failure and demonstrating prompt improvement in renal function after systemic chemotherapy or local irradiation of one or both kidneys. Histiocytic lymphoma was the most common underlying disease. In the setting of diffuse lymphoma with other causes of renal failure reasonably excluded, radiographic demonstration of enlarged kidneys without obstruction suggests the need for intensive combination chemotherapy in most cases.

Urinary cytodiagnostic abnormalities in 50 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Urinary cytodiagnostic evaluation was performed on 50 consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. In 14 patients (28%) the urine sediment contained characteristic lymphoma cells. The groups with or without a positive urine cytology were comparable with respect to type of lymphoma, stage and course of disease, and recent treatment with chemotherapy. However, those with a positive urine cytology were more likely to have clinical evidence of kidney disease (43% vs 8%), although this was rarely attributed to disseminated lymphoma. In fact, in three patients, a positive urine cytology was the sole or presenting evidence for disseminated lymphoma. Although the groups with or without a positive cytology were similar with regard to physicochemical urinary findings, there were marked differences in the frequency of microscopic abnormalities. All patients with a positive cytology had evidence of renal parenchymal necrosis, renal tubular injury, or pathologic cast formation as compared with only 56% of those with a negative cytology. Thus, urinary cytodiagnostic evaluation may provide an important adjunct in the staging and evaluation of patients with malignant lymphomas.

Acute oliguric renal failure secondary to lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys

A case of lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys presenting as acute oliguric renal failure of unknown cause is described. Renal biopsy was required to establish the diagnosis. Combined chemotherapy (MOPP) produced significant improvement in renal function.

Malignant lymphoma presenting with nonoliguric renal failure

Nonoliguric renal failure was observed as a presenting complaint in a 14-year-old boy with a malignant lymphoma. The diagnosis was made by a renal biopsy, and the renal failure was treated successfully with peritoneal dialysis while the lymphoma was being treated with radiotherapy.

Renal failure due to lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys

An unusual case of lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys presenting as uremia of unknown cause is described. The diagnosis was established by renal biopsy. The severe renal impairment in this patient proved to be almost completely reversible by treatment with chemotherapy.

Early renal involvement in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and nonHodgkin's lymphoma in children

Clinical manifestations of kidney disease, particularly renal failure, caused by malignant infiltration in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or nonHodgkin's lymphoma have been described rarely. We report 1 case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 3 cases of nonHodgkin's lymphoma in which renal disease was the only or one of the presenting manifestations of malignancy. Of these patients 2 had rapidly progressive renal failure with nephromegaly, 1 presented with bilateral abdominal masses caused by severe nephromegaly and with microscopic hematuria, and 1 had microscopic hematuria without nephromegaly. In all 4 patients kidney biopsy revealed malignant infiltration. In the 2 patients who presented with renal failure kidney function promptly returned to normal after chemotherapy and irradiation of the kidneys. Prompt and correct diagnosis of nephropathy, when it is the only or one of the presenting signs of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or nonHodgkin's lymphoma, is necessary to expedite initiation of specific antitumor therapy.

Cancer and the kidney: complications of neoplasms

Various renal complications occur during the course of neoplastic disease. The therapeutic and prognostic implications differ according to the reversibility of both the underlying malignancy and the superimposed complications in the kidney. Since the mechanisms of renal failure vary significantly in patients with different types of malignancy, it is essential to avoid generalizations about etiologic factors or likely outcomes of the disease processes. The pathophysiologic abnormalities should be determined in each patient, and the reversibility of both the neoplastic and problems assessed before therapeutic decisions are made. This often requires a team effort by the internist, oncologist, nephrologist, urologist and, most importantly, the patient.

Lymphomatoid tumor infiltration of renal veins

A case of bilateral renal vein infiltration and thrombosis secondary to malignant lymphoma is presented. Although the kidney frequently is known to be involved by metastatic lymphoma, uremia is a rare terminal complication. The etiology and diagnosis of this disorder are discussed. We believe that it is important to recognize renal vein thrombosis in such patients so that treatment with radiation and/or chemotherapy may restore renal function.

Renal failure secondary to leukemic infiltration of the kidneys

Leukemic infiltration of the kidneys is a very rare cause of renal failure. A woman with acute lymphoblastic leukemia presented with nonliguric renal failure and was found to have massively enlarged kidneys. The size of the kidneys was dramatically reduced through the combined effects of local radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy. Because this rapid shrinkage of the kidneys was associated with improvement in renal function, the uremia was ascribed to leukemic infiltration. As a consequence of rapid tumor lysis in the presence of renal failure, marked hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia developed. The literature experience with renal failure secondary to leukemic infiltration of the kidneys is reviewed.

Acute renal insufficiency due to lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys: report of six cases

Described are six patients with acute renal insufficiency due to histologically proven massive lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys. All patients were admitted to a renal intensive care unit over a period of six years. Oliguria was the presenting symptom in two of the patients. This complication of lymphoma is suggested by enlargement of the kidneys and mild proteinuria in the absence of other causes of uremia and can be demonstrated by renal biopsy. Local radiation therapy performed in two patients produced improvement of renal function.

Hodgkin's disease and chronic renal failure

A case of uremia resulting from bilateral Hodgkin's lymphomatous infiltration of kidneys is reported. Uremia was an initial feature in the case and was the eventual cause of death.

Pathoanatomical features of the kidney in myelomonocytic and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The kidneys of 18 autopsy cases of myelomonocytic leukemia (MML) were examined for MML-specific features. Nine cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) served as controls. The kidneys of the cases of MML showed macroscopically detectable signs of hemorrhagic diathesis and secondary uric acid diathesis more often than those of CLL. In the MML group most of the kidneys weighed more than the normal average for the corresponding age group, but the average renal weights for the 2 groups were about the same. Renal weight and grade of leukemic infiltration, particularly in MML, revealed no significant positive correlation. In most of the cases of MML there were unevenly distributed poorly defined leukemic, infiltrates in the renal cortex and medulla. The histology resembled that of pyelonephritis. In CLL, on the other hand, the leukemic infiltrates were usually sharply defined and localized in foci in the outer cortex and the corticomedullary border region. Renal dysfunction in cases of MML has been attributed by others to hyperlysozymemia. It was found occasionally but there was no MML-typical morphological substrate in our material. Hyaline droplet change of the tubular epithelium was more frequent and more pronounced in MML than in CLL. However, we also determined that it was nonspecific and that it was not a parameter of cell damage. Tubular hyaline droplet change and the morphological criteria of acute renal failure were not positively correlated with the degree of leukemic infiltration of the kidneys or with the leukemic proliferation as a whole. Instead, they were considered to be signs and symptoms of accompanying or secondary diseases which complicated the leukemia.

Malignant lymphoma with genitourinary symptoms

Two cases are reported of patients with widespread intra-abdominal malignant lymphoma who althoug they initially presented with urologic complaints had no evidence of direct genitourinary involvement. Transrectal biopsy established the diagnosis in both cases. This unusual presentation of lymphoma is discussed together with a review of urologic involvement. The necessity for accurate diagnosis is stressed since effective treatment with radiation and chemotherapy is available.