Conventional FLCN-mutated tumor: a retrospective study of 5 cases with emphasis on diagnostic challenges

Conventional FLCN-mutated tumors (c-FMTs) occur in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD), posing diagnostic challenges due to their overlapping histology with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC) and renal oncocytoma (RO).

Clinicopathological analysis, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and whole exome sequencing (WES) were performed in this study. This cohort comprised 4 males and 1 female with ages from 31 to 69 years (median: 53 years) and tumor diameters from 0.8 to 3.5 cm (median: 2.6 cm). Four of 5 cases showed a solitary lesion macroscopically. These cases were initially diagnosed as ChRCC (n = 3), RO (n = 1), and eosinophilic vacuolated tumor (EVT, n = 1) and displayed variable nested, acinar, solid structures, and mixtures of oncocytic and pale/clear cells, lacking marked tubules, cysts, and papillae in nonconventional FMT. All tumors exhibited mutually exclusive FOXI1 and L1CAM staining. L1CAM was negative in ChRCCs (10/10) and most ROs (7/8), but positive in low grade oncocytic tumors (5/5) and EVT (1/1). WES identified (likely) pathogenic FLCN mutations in all cases and biallelic inactivation of FLCN was detected in 4 (80 %) of 5 cases. Copy number analysis revealed no characteristic chromosomal loss of ChRCCs. Although metachronous TFE3-traslocation RCC occurred in 1 of 4 patients, all patients remained disease-free, except for 1 patient alive with tumors.

Conventional FMTs are indolent tumors, harboring hybrids of likely multiple cell populations. These tumors are usually misdiagnosed as sporadic ChRCCs or ROs. The panel of CK7, CD117, FOXI1, and L1CAM is useful for the diagnosis of c-FMTs.