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Papillary renal cell carcinoma
Etiology

There is evidence for a genetic basis for this type of carcinoma.
Cytogenetically, papillary carcinomas differ from the more usual clear cell adenocarcinomas.
Papillary tumors tend to show a loss of the Y chromosome and trisomy of chromosomes 7 and 17.
The background non-neoplastic renal parenchyma may show hyperplastic and papillary neoplastic lesions.
Pathogenesis

Unknown, but evidence of somatic mutations.,
Epidemiology

Male to female ratio is approximately 2.5:1.
Mean age is in the 6th decade.
General Gross Description
Tumors may affect any region of the kidney.
Tumor-parenchymal interface is usually sharp.
Large tumors may distort the calyces and pelvis.
Tumor can invade and exit the kidney as renal vein tumor thrombi.
On close scrutiny of the background renal parenchyma, additional seemingly incidental nodules may be found which histologically proves to be papillary epithelial tumors.
•Examples:
Renal Papillary Carcinoma
General Microscopic Description

Greater than 75% of the tumor show a histologically papillary architecture.
The tumor cells are cuboidal for the most part but may be columnar.
Nuclear cytologic features are variable, usually low grade but may be high grade.
Psammoma bodies may be present.
•Examples:
Clinical Correlation

Patients may present with costovertebral angle pain, palpable mass and hematuria.
85% of cases at the time of discovery are stage I.
Unlike renal cell adenocarcinomas of the usual type, papillary carcinomas are hypovascular on angiographic studies.
References

Kovacs G: Papillary renal cell carcinoma. Am J Pathol 1989; 134:27-34.
Weiss LM et al: Adult renal epithelial neoplaslms. Am J Clin Pathol 1995; 103:624-635.

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Papillary renal cell carcinoma
Synopsis by: Harold Yamase M.D. (T71000M80503)[453]
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