A huge benign fibrous histiocytoma arising from the renal capsule: report of a case

BACKGROUND: Neoplasms originating in the renal capsule are very rare. Benign fibrous histiocytoma(BFH) most commonly occurs in the dermis and subcutis, few cases of this tumor appear in the renal capsule. In particular, BFH larger than 20 cm are scarce. Here we report a rare huge one measuring 23 × 13 × 7 cm. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 64-year-old man who presented with a few-months history of dull pain in the right groin. The tumor had its point of origin in the renal capsule which is a rare condition. Histologically, the tumor was composed of intersecting fascicles of fibroblastic cells forming a “storiform” pattern. Immunohistochemical studies were also performed, ultimately leading to the diagnosis of BFH. The patient was treated with radical nephrectomy. No recurrence was detected 4 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: BFH arising from the renal capsule was very rare. In particular, the case of more than twenty centimeters is extremely rare. The clinical presentation of renal BFH might be only a mass. However, differential diagnosis from renal cell carcinoma proved to be impossible before surgical intervention. It is difficult to diagnose only by means of histopathology, but the immunohistochemical method can provide a clear and definite diagnosis.