Evolution of renal cyst to renal carcinoma: a case report and review of literature

Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2021 Apr 15;14(4):463-468. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Background: Renal cyst is a common benign disease which is rare to progress from simple renal cyst to renal cell carcinoma.

Case presentation: A 62-year-old woman who suffered a simple renal cyst for over 20 years complained intermittent lumbar in recent 2 years. At her latest admission, the cyst lesion displayed enhancement in the cystic wall by CT scan and cystic to partially solid change by ultrasound, so we did a partial nephrectomy and found that the cystic lesion had become a cyst-solid transition. The pathology turned out to be renal clear cell carcinoma.

Conclusions: Although the canceration of a renal cyst is a small probability event, patients with a long history of a cyst, especially those with symptoms, need to seek for medical treatment in time, and if necessary, lesion biopsy or resection may be under consideration.

Keywords: Renal cyst; case report; evolution; renal cancer.