Metastatic hypernephroma masquerading as acute cholecystitis

Renal cell carcinoma can metastasize to multiple anatomic sites. The metastasis may simulate certain disease entities depending on the location and particular organ involved. It is important to recognize that these metastases can present many years after the primary tumor has been treated. We present a case in which a primary hypernephroma was surgically removed and subsequently 13 years later presented with metastatic disease to the gallbladder clinically simulating acute cholecystitis.