Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 26, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Awake Nasotracheal Intubation with Flexible Video Rhino-Laryngoscopes
Published on: August 2, 2024
Rare case of clear cell renal cell carcinoma presenting as a unilateral tonsil lesion
Shawn David Ellis1, Alison Meikle2, Wassim Al-Salti3
1Oncology, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, UK.
Abstract:
A 70-year-old man presented with gradually worsening throat discomfort. He had no prior diagnosis of cancer and no travel history of note. Examination revealed a right-sided painless neck lump. He underwent an MRI of the neck, revealing a gadolinium-enhancing tonsillar mass and two brain lesions. Biopsy of the tonsil lesion was in keeping with an epithelial neoplasm, suggesting metastatic renal cell carcinoma. This was confirmed following a staging CT, which revealed a left renal mass and lung metastases. Due to his brain metastases, the patient has been started on the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib. A brief discussion on the diagnostic evaluation of a tonsil mass as a rare presentation of renal cell cancer follows this report.
Related Concept Videos
Tonsillitis I: Introduction
Etiology
Three primary contributing factors have been identified.
Tonsillitis II: Management
Chronic Pharyngitis
Etiology
It often arises from persistent viral or bacterial infections affecting sinuses and tonsils.
Additional contributing factors include inadequate dental hygiene, mouth breathing, recurring tonsillitis, allergic rhinitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and exposure to smoke, chemicals, and other environmental pollutants. Allergic reactions to pollen, mold, and pet dander, chronic cough, excessive voice usage,...
Urinary Tract Calculi II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations
External Anatomy of the Kidney
The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, protected posteriorly by the 11th and 12th ribs. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left owing to the presence of the liver...

