Renal capsule metastasis from renal pelvic cancer: a case report

BACKGROUND: Metastatic renal cancers are relatively common. Most are metastases to the renal parenchyma via a hematogenous route and are derived from lung, breast, and gastrointestinal cancer, malignant melanoma, and hematologic malignant cancer. However, little is known about renal capsule metastasis from other cancers. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 71-year-old woman with breast cancer who was treated with endocrine therapy. She presented with gross hematuria and was diagnosed as having right renal pelvic cancer and renal cell cancer. She underwent right laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy. Pathological findings revealed right pelvic cancer and renal capsule metastasis. CONCLUSION: Renal capsule metastasis derived from renal pelvic cancer is very rare. When diagnosing renal capsule cancer, we believe that renal capsule metastasis should also be taken into consideration. Clinical and radiological differential diagnosis of renal capsule metastasis from renal cell cancer and primary renal capsule cancer is difficult. Assessment of the histopathological findings of the surgical specimens seems to be the only realistic approach to achieving the correct diagnosis.