Nodular renal blastema in trisomy 13

The autopsy records and material of 14 cases of karyotype-proved trisomy 13 were reviewed. There were one or more foci of nodular renal blastema in six cases. Patients with nodular renal blastema had lived up to five days; patients in whom foci were not found at autopsy had lived six to 37 days. The presence of nodular renal blastema did not substantially correlate with other renal anomalies or the number or severity of extrarenal anomalies. The presence of nodular renal blastema in trisomy 13 expands the spectrum of syndromes associated with nodular renal blastema and supports its relationship with disorders of growth regulation. The presence of the lesions only in very young infants suggests that most, or all, foci of nodular renal blastema regress with age.