Percutaneous Thermal Ablation for Renal Tumors in Patients with Birt–Hogg–Dubé Syndrome

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Percutaneous thermal ablation (TA) could be a safe and efficient nephron-sparing treatment for treating renal cell carcinoma (RCCs) associated with Birt–Hogg–Dubé (BHD) syndrome, a rare hereditary condition at greater risk of repeated treatments, even in the case of advanced chronic kidney disease, and should be systematically discussed as a treatment option. Indications for nephron-sparing management of these tumors in BHD patients depends on many factors, including size, number, and location of the tumor(s) in each kidney, patient surgical history, and renal function. The role of the tumor board including radiologists, interventional radiologists, urologists, and oncologists is essential. ABSTRACT: BHD syndrome is characterized by an increased risk of bilateral and multifocal renal cell carcinoma (RCCs), but is rarely metastatic. Our report aims to analyze the outcome of patients with BHD syndrome who underwent percutaneous thermal ablation (TA). The present report included six BHD syndrome patients (five men) with a mean age of 66 ± 11 (SD) years who had a proven germline FLCN gene mutation and underwent TA for a renal tumor. Nineteen renal tumors (median two tumors per patient; range: 1–3), including seven chromophobe RCCs, five clear-cell RCCs, four papillary RCCs, two clear-cell papillary RCC, and one hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumor were treated in 14 ablation sessions. The mean size of the tumors was 21 ± 11 (SD) mm (median: 20 mm; interquartile range (IQR): 14–25 mm) for a mean volume of 7 ± 11 (SD) mL (median: 3; IQR: 1–5 mL). Technical success was achieved in all ablation sessions (primary success rate, 100%). The procedure was well tolerated under conscious sedation with no significant Clavien–Dindo complication (grade 2, 3, 4). All patients were alive with no distant metastasis during a median follow-up period of 74 months (range: 33–83 months). No local tumor progression was observed. The mean decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate was 8 mL/min/1.73 m(2). No patients required dialysis or renal transplantation. In this case series, percutaneous TA appeared as a safe and efficient nephron-sparing treatment for treating RCCs associated with BHD syndrome, even in the case of advanced chronic kidney disease.