Renal cell carcinoma presenting as an ominous metachronous scalp metastasis

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 3% all of solid organ tumours and is slightly more common in men in the age range of 60 to 70 years. Skin metastases occur in 3% to 6% of RCCs. There are only approximately 30 cases of scalp metastases secondary to RCC in the literature. They usually occur late in metastatic disease and are a bad prognostic marker. A 67-year-old Caucasian male presented with a metastatic scalp lesion, 10 years post-radical treatment for RCC. His initial diagnosis was a T3bN0M0 RCC. He presented with a raised erythematous lesion on his parietal scalp, the histology of which demonstrated late metastatic recurrence. Shortly after this, he developed diffuse metastatic disease. Metastatic RCC can occur many years after initial diagnosis and present in many forms. Cutaneous metastatic lesions of RCC can mimic many other dermatologic conditions and carries an ominous prognosis. It is therefore important not only for the urologist, but also general practitioners and patients to be vigilant of any new skin lesion as a portent of impending metastatic disease.