Vaginal bleeding as primary presentation of renal cell carcinoma

Vaginal bleeding as a rare presentation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a relatively uncommon malignancy, comprising only 3 % of adult cancers, but it is responsible for 85 % of primary renal tumors. When RCC metastasizes, the most common sites are the lungs, liver, bones, and brain. Although it is rare, RCC can also metastasize to the vagina. About 18-33 % of RCC cases are diagnosed with metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 48-year-old woman presented with postcoital bleeding and dyspareunia. At the physical examination, a polypoid mass was discovered on the right lateral wall of the upper third of her vagina and CT scan showed a right renal. Biopsies revealed clear cell renal carcinoma with metastasis to the vagina. The patient was diagnosed with stage IV (T3cN2 M1) renal cancer and underwent systemic therapy with Everolimus. However, subsequent imaging showed tumor progression, and the patient opted to halt treatment and was subsequently lost to follow-up.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

In the past decade, there have been fewer than ten reported cases of RCC metastasizing to the vagina. Diagnosing vaginal clear cell carcinoma is challenging due to overlapping morphology with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, requiring immunohistochemistry. Treatment of vaginal cancers is challenging due to their rarity, and there is a lack of consensus on the optimal approach due to limited prospective studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the occurrence of RCC metastasis to the vagina is very uncommon, it is important to consider the possibility of metastatic RCC in cases of vaginal bleeding or lesions.

Initial presentation of renal cell carcinoma as a vaginal mass with excessive bleeding

Introduction

Renal cancer is the seventh most common cancer in men and the tenth most common cancer in women. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 3% of all adult malignancies and 85% of all primary renal tumours. It metastasizes most often to the lungs, liver, bones, and brain and very rarely to the vagina.

Case report

We present a case of a 60-year-old patient, in whom the renal cell carcinoma manifested for the first time as an intense bleeding, soft tumour formation with dimensions 4/6 cm originating in the vagina.

Discussion

Renal cell carcinoma metastasizes in about 30% of cases. Metastasizing can be lymphatic, hematogenous, transcoelomic, or by direct invasion. Most commonly it affects the lungs, bones, adrenal glands, liver, lymph nodes, and brain. Much less often, it metastasizes to the thyroid, orbit, nasal structures, vagina, gallbladder, pancreas, sublingual tissues, and soft tissues of distal extremities. Metastases can be synchronous and metachronous. The described cases in the literature of renal cell carcinoma manifested with vaginal metastases are isolated.

Conclusions

We present an extremely rare case of renal cell carcinoma manifested by profuse genital bleeding from a vaginal metastasis. In such cases, especially if the vaginal lesion does not appear as the primary vaginal carcinoma, we must consider the possibility of metastasis from renal carcinoma.

Bleeding from Gynecologic Malignancies

Initial assessment of vaginal bleeding in gynecologic malignancies includes a thorough history and physical examination, identification of site and extent of disease, and patient goals of care. Patients who are initially hemodynamically unstable may require critical care services. Choice of treatment is disease site specific. Cervical cancer frequently is treated with chemoradiation. Uterine cancer may be treated surgically, with radiation, or pharmacologically. Gestational trophoblastic disease is treated surgically. Alternative treatment modalities include vascular embolization and topical hemostatic agents. Patients with bleeding gynecologic malignancies should be managed as inpatients in facilities with gynecologic oncology, radiation oncology, and critical care services.

Severe vaginal bleeding due to vaginal metastasis from renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus: A case report

RATIONALE

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer and is the second most common urologic neoplasm. Vaginal metastasis from RCC is extremely rare clinically.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 56-year-old woman presented with intermittent vaginal bleeding that had persisted for 1 month. Enhanced computed tomography examination suggested a vaginal mass (3 × 2 × 2 cm), right kidney tumor (15 × 12 × 10 cm), and an inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. During gynecologic examination, the mass was necrotic and caused uncontrollable vaginal bleeding.

DIAGNOSES

Based on clinical and imaging examinations and the pathology, she was diagnosed as vaginal metastasis from RCC.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient received percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization to stop uncontrollable vaginal bleeding, and then treated with targeted therapy.

OUTCOMES

Vaginal bleeding disappeared after interventional embotherapy. However, disease progressed, and the patient died 9 months later.

LESSONS

In cases of vaginal bleeding, the possibility of metastatic renal cell carcinoma should be considered. Percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization is an effective and novel treatment for uncontrollable vaginal bleeding caused by vaginal metastasis of RCC.

Vaginal metastasis in solid tumours: our four cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Vaginal metastasis should be kept in mind when evaluating the staging tests of all cancers, especially endometrial cancer.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present four patients with vaginal recurrence who recently applied to our clinic. Three cases were of endometrial cancer and one case of rectal cancer. All patients presented with vaginal bleeding.

CONCLUSION

Standard treatment for vaginal metastasis has not yet been established. Therapeutic options for vaginal metastasis-separately or in combination-are surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.