Renal medullary carcinoma masquerading as renal infection: a case report

BACKGROUND: Renal medullary carcinoma is a rare and aggressive tumor and often seen in young adults with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of renal medullary carcinoma in a 29-year old male patient with an occupying renal lesion who presented with fever, flank pain and hematuria. The patient received intensive antibiotics treatment, but no improvement was seen. The symptoms disappeared after laparoscopic radical left nephrectomy. Postoperative pathological study showed that the mass was renal medullary carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our case suggests that renal medullary carcinoma should be considered in differential diagnoses of patients with occupying renal lesions who have fever of unknown origin.