Reversible systemic abnormalities associated with renal cell carcinoma

A sixty-eight-year-old male was found to have renal carcinoma after seven months of constitutional symptoms. Initial study of the patient showed a puzzling array of laboratory abnormalities. These led initially to a search for gastrointestinal malignancy and then later to consideration of multiple myeloma. This case serves as a reminder of the propensity of early renal carcinoma to produce striking constitutional symptoms and marked hematologic and serum protein abnormalities. These may occur in the absence of metastases and are frequently reversible as shown in this case with resection of the primary lesion.