Unclassified hemangioma-like renal cell carcinoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall

Renal Cell Carcinoma With Hemangioma-Like Features: Diagnostic Implications and Review of the Literature

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with clear cell morphology may show a prominent delicate vascularity. In this article, we report the morphologic and immunohistochemical features of a clear cell papillary RCC mimicking hemangioblastoma and a clear cell RCC mimicking hemangioma. Case 1 showed tubular and papillary growth of clear cells with distinctive areas of capillary proliferation and admixed stromal-like cells resembling a hemangioblastoma. Case 2 consisted of homogeneously delicate microvascular proliferations resembling a capillary hemangioma with scattered inconspicuous clear cells. The clear cells of Case 1 were PAX8(+), CK7(diffuse+), CA9(diffuse+, cup-shaped), and inhibin A(−). The hemangioblastoma-like areas were PAX8(+), CK7(−), CA9(diffuse+), and inhibin A(diffuse+). Case 2 showed PAX8(+), CK7(−), and CA9(diffuse+). They can be diagnostically challenging, and it is important to recognize that a pure hemangioma or hemangioblastoma of the kidneys is very rare, and that RCCs with clear cell morphology rarely exhibit hemangioma-like characteristics.