Renal medullary carcinoma: A potential sickle cell nephropathy of children and adolescents

An extremely aggressive malignant epithelial neoplasm of the kidney has recently been described and named renal medullary carcinoma. The finding of this tumor is highly predictive of drepanocytes (sickle cells) in tissue sections and thus the presence of sickle hemoglobin, specifically sickle cell trait, in the patient. We present a case report of this rare tumor in a 10-year-old male. The tumor displayed a variable histologic architecture including gland-like areas with intra- and extracytoplasmic material resembling mucin with hematoxylin and eosin stain. This material was negative with periodic acid-Schiff and mucicarmine stains, stained only weakly with Alcian Blue, and was positive using antibodies against peanut agglutinin. Tumor cells stained positively with antibodies to epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratin, vimentin, and Ulex europaeus lectin. The luminal face of tumor cells stained with peanut agglutinin. Stains using antibodies against carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha-fetoprotein were negative. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells were characterized by short microvilli lining the luminal surface and lateral complex infoldings of adjacent plasma membranes. We discuss the relationship of this neoplasm to another renal pelvic neoplasm, collecting duct carcinoma, which may rarely occur in children. Renal medullary carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of gross hematuria, which is most commonly benign self-limited hematuria, in young patients with sickle cell trait.