Review of renal carcinoid tumor with focus on clinical and pathobiological aspects

Pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia with t(1;19) in an adult initially presenting as hematuria and bilateral renal enlargement: a case report and literature review

Although pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of renal leukemic infiltration; the renal infiltration with leukemia cells as the initial manifestation of leukemia is very rare. Translocation (1;19)(q23;p13) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities in patients with ALL and is observed in 5 - 6% of children with pre-B ALL. However, the incidence of t(1;19) in adults is lower, not exceeding 3%, and the prognosis of adult patients is usually poor. Herein, we report a 52-year-old female patient with pre-B ALL who initially presented as bilateral renal enlargement. The cytogenetic analysis revealed chromosomal abnormalities including t(1;19). The patient underwent three consecutive courses of chemotherapy with VDLP (vincristine, daunorubicin, L-asp, and prednisolone) and gained a short complete remission. Her kidneys recovered to normal size, and renal function returned to normal level. However, after complete remission for only 3 months, the patient exhibited resistance to consolidation chemotherapy and indicated evidence of marrow relapse. Although we increased the drug dosage and attempted to use a different protocol, she died of severe anemia and hemorrhage almost 10 months after she was first admitted. In conclusion, pre-B cell ALL is the most common type of leukemia to present with renal infiltration as the presenting sign. Because of the poor outcome of ALL, some new therapeutic approaches may improve the patients' conditions.

Renal neuroendocrine tumour and synchronous pancreas metastasis: histopathological diagnosis using prostatic acid phosphatase

A woman aged 56 years developed 2 synchronous tumours: one, 1.2 cm in diameter at the head of the pancreas; and the other, 4.0 cm in diameter, at the left side of her horseshoe kidney. Preoperative differential diagnosis of these hypovascular lesions included pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDC) with renal metastasis, PDC with renal angiomyolipoma, renal cell carcinoma with pancreatic metastasis or PDC and renal cell carcinoma. Following pancreaticoduodenectomy and left nephrectomy, both specimens were diagnosed as grade 2 neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Immunohistochemistry revealed that both were positive for prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), which is specific to hindgut-derived NET, including renal NET. Accordingly, the renal tumour was diagnosed as the primary lesion, and the pancreatic tumour as a metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a renal NET with a synchronous pancreas metastasis. Immunohistochemical staining for PAP was a useful diagnostic marker for synchronous NETs in the kidney and pancreas.

NEUROENDOCRINE RENAL CARCINOMA - THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC ISSUES

INTRODUCTION

Neuroendocrine renal carcinoma represents less than 1% of all primary neoplasia of the kidney. Most frequently poorly differentiated carcinoma is diagnosed in advanced stages and they have an aggressive evolution and limited survival rate. Neuroendocrine carcinomas that arise from the renal pelvis are frequently associated with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We present the case of a female patient, known for 3 years before with an undefined retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, being diagnosed at present with a left large cell neuroendocrine renal carcinoma, who initially had lymph node metastasis.

RESULTS

Until now, 118 cases of primary neuroendocrine renal carcinomas have been reported. A limited number of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas have been reported.

DISCUSSION

Due to the clinical and biological findings, the aggressive evolution with early metastasis of lung and bone, the patient is included in the group of poorly differentiated carcinomas. In these cases, multimodal treatment is a gold standard. After surgical treatment and palliative chemotherapy with platinum salts, we obtained a partial remission of the disease and the control of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Regarding large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, the surgical treatment remains the treatment of choice. Chemotherapy can determine limited results, improve the quality of life and enhance the overall survival rate.

Primary carcinoid tumor of the kidney with estrogen and progesterone receptor expression

Primary carcinoid tumors are uncommon neoplasms in the kidney. The current study presents a case of primary carcinoid tumor of the kidney in a 49-year-old female who suffered from painless gross hematuria for half a month. Left hydronephrosis, a horseshoe kidney and a space-occupying lesion of the left ureter were found by abdominal computed tomography scans and ultrasonic testing. Surgery was performed and an oval tumor was found under the left ureter; the tumor and left kidney were excised completely. The neoplasm was composed of solid nests of cells, trabeculae, adenoid structures and anastomosing cords in a loose and myxoid background. The tumor cells, which were consistent in volume, exhibited centrally oval nuclei with inconspicuous nucleoli, and eosinophilic finely granular cytoplasm. Upon immunohistochemical staining, the neoplastic cells were positive for AE1/AE3, vimentin, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, while being negative for epithelial membrane antigen, inhibin A, cluster of differentiation (CD)99, S-100 and CD10. Based on the histological characteristics, a diagnosis of primary carcinoid tumor of the left kidney was formed. The patient did not receive further treatment. The total follow-up period was 18 months after the surgery and repeated imaging examinations every 6 months revealed no recurrence.