Metastatic renal cell carcinoma--an unexpected finding after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Tumours metastasising to the gallbladder from other sites are rare; we aim to present a case of this unusual site of metastasis and give an overview of the current literature surrounding it. A case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with gallbladder metastasis is presented, along with a brief summary of the literature. A 55-year-old female presented with symptoms due to a large right RCC. Staging investigations were negative for metastasis and she underwent curative resection. She presented 8 years later with cholecystitis, and histological examination of the gallbladder specimen identified metastatic renal cell carcinoma which was not identified on preoperative imaging. RCC metastases to the gallbladder are unusual, but probably more common than recognised. They're frequently not identified preoperatively, and prognosis is similar to isolated metastases to other organs.