Renal involvement in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: clinical and pathological features in 23 cases

Twenty-three cases of renal or perirenal involvement by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were identified from a retrospective review of computed tomography (CT) scans performed on patients at St Bartholomew's Hospital over an 8-year period. The histology, clinical features and survival of these patients were examined. Eighteen of the 23 patients had high grade histological subtypes according to the Kiel classification. The majority of cases were identified from scans performed at the time of presentation. In nine cases renal lymphoma was observed in the absence of detectable retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Staging was rarely altered by the finding of renal lymphoma as 21 of the 23 patients had involvement of other extranodal sites in addition to the kidney. Survival did not appear to be adversely affected by the presence of renal lymphoma at the time of initial diagnosis. During the same period no cases of renal involvement were identified in patients with Hodgkin's disease, although one patient had perirenal involvement.