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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

In Vivo, Percutaneous, Needle Based, Optical Coherence Tomography of Renal Masses
Published on: March 30, 2015
Mitochondria with tubulovesicular cristae in renal oncocytomas
C Bárcena1, M A Martínez, M P Ortega
1Service of Pathology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Renal oncocytoma and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (CRCC) are closely related tumors. They are considered the extremes of a spectrum with several variants. Ultrastructural examination of the mitochondria is a helpful procedure in the diagnosis of these neoplasms. Renal oncocytomas show mitochondria with piled lamellar cristae, and CRCC exhibited mitochondria with tubulovesicular cristae. In a series of 23 histologically diagnosed renal oncocytomas examined by electron microscopy, the authors found 5 tumors exhibiting more cells with mitochondria showing tubulovesicular cristae. The authors believe these 5 cases present a submicroscopic appearance intermediate between renal oncocytoma and CRCC, although with benign clinical behavior.
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