Skin metastasis of renal cell carcinoma: a case report

Abstract

Metastasis of renal cell carcinoma is seen in approximately 25% of all cases. Rarely, they can appear in unusual sites. Herein, we present a 40-year-old female patient with an itching scalp mass. The mass appeared one year after the nephrectomy performed for a right renal cell carcinoma. Computed tomography scans have not identified any metastasis during the postoperative evolution of the disease. We excised the mass with a large surgical margin under local anesthesia. Pathological examination of the lesion diagnosed metastasis of clear cell carcinoma. Our case is not just the rare metastatic site but also the fact that the tumor appeared despite its low grade (T2N0MO). Unfortunately, the prognosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with skin metastasis is in most cases unfavorable. We believe that our case could add more information to the following measures, complete the frame of rare oncologic cases and consolidate the data published on the topic so far. Although skin metastases are a poor sign of progression, disease-free follow-up is possible after appropriate surgical excision.