Intrarenal epidermal cyst

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pathology

Background:

• Renal cystic formations are common, but epidermoid cysts are exceptionally rare causes of renal masses.
• Intrarenal epidermoid cysts often present with non-specific symptoms like lumbar pain, hematuria, and dysuria.

Observation:

• A 50-year-old female patient presented with a 2-month history of lumbar pain, hematuria, and dysuria.
• Imaging revealed an atrophic and dysfunctional right kidney.
• The patient underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic simple nephrectomy.

Findings:

• Microscopic examination of the resected kidney confirmed the presence of an epidermoid cyst within the renal parenchyma.
• The cyst was identified as the cause of the patient's presenting symptoms.

Implications:

• Intrarenal epidermoid cysts are challenging to differentiate from other renal masses preoperatively.
• Nephrectomy is often the standard treatment due to diagnostic difficulties.
• This case represents the first reported instance of an intrarenal epidermoid cyst in a female patient in the English-language literature, adding to the understanding of rare renal pathologies.