Subcapsular nephron-sparing surgical approach for small renal graft tumor: a case report

Conservative treatment of renal cell cancer in kidney grafts is rare. Only six reports have been presented in the literature regarding nephron-sparing surgery in this setting. We report the case of a 38-year old man with a kidney transplant from a 72-year-old donor 2 years prior. Ultrasonography detected a renal exophytic mass (2 cm) in the lower pole, which was treated with open tumor enucleation by a subcapsular approach. No vascular clamping was performed, and minimal bleeding occurred. The kidney graft is well functioning, with serum creatinine of 1.6 mg/dL. The histological diagnosis was cromophyle renal adenocarcinoma.