[Multiple chromophobe renal cell carcinoma: a case report]

A 46-year-old woman with gross hematuria was referred to our hospital with suspicion of bilateral renal cell carcinoma. Computed tomography (CT) showed multiple renal tumors with contrast enhancement and multiple lung nodules. Based on a diagnosis of bilateral multiple renal cell carcinoma with multiple lung metastases, a combination therapy with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and 5-flurouracil (5-FU) was initiated. Six months later, all the renal and pulmonary lesions remained the same, and IFN-alpha alone was continued thereafter. One tumor in the right upper pole decreased in size during the next six years, while all the other lesions remained unchanged. Then the immunotherapy was discontinued on the basis of possibility that the tumors could be benign lesions. Three years later,the right upper renal tumor disappeared on CT, but, one of the left renal tumors showed progressive disease. The patient underwent left partial nephrectomy together with resection of neighboring small tumors. All the excised tumors were diagnosed as chromophobe renal cell carcinoma on histological examination. There has been no change with the remaining tumors for 1.5 years postoperatively.