Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Scalp: A Case Report With Review of Literature

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of renal neoplasm. It accounts for 3% of solid tumors in adults and mostly affects men with the peak incidence between the fifth and seventh decades. It metastasizes mainly through the hematogenous spread, and the lung is the most common site of metastasis followed by bone, lymph node, liver, brain, and adrenal glands. Skin metastasis is extremely rare and accounts for <7% of RCC metastases, with the scalp and face being the most reported sites. Skin metastases are usually diagnosed at a later stage of the disease, commonly post-nephrectomy, and are regarded as a poor prognostic factor. Here we report a case of a 54-year-old male who presented with a red, pedunculated, bleeding, and nontender scalp lesion (2x2cm in size) found on the right parietal area. with a history of left radical nephrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy for clear cell RCC 17 years ago, as well as laminectomy and radiotherapy for bone metastases in C5 and C6 in 2015. After surgical excision of the scalp lesion, histology revealed metastatic clear cell RCC. The patient was doing well post-surgical excision and was referred back to oncology where palliative care and supportive treatment were initiated. In the span of five months post-resection, he developed several conditions where his health further deteriorated. He was announced dead in September 2022 due to cardiac arrest. This case highlights the occurrence of scalp metastases long after the surgical resection of RCC.