[Renal extramedullary hematopoiesis]

Abstract

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) refers to the location of hematopoietic elements in locations other than the bone marrow medullary space. EMH is an uncommonly isolated disease and it usually occurs during chronic hematologic disorders due to hematopoiesis hyperstimulation. Reticuloendothelial system is the most common site of EMH whereas the kidney is an extremely rare location. EMH lesions are frequently asymptomatic, nevertheless hemorrhagic manifestations can be observed. Patient history can help for making a diagnosis, which can be established by CT scan and/or MRI. Surveillance is recommended for asymptomatic cases while local therapies such as low dose radiation or surgery can be used to treat bleeding lesions. Systemic therapies using iron supplementation or blood transfusion are helpful to avoid disease recurrence. We report a case of pyelocaliceal EMH managed with laser vaporization during ureteroscopy procedures.