Pigmented renal cell carcinoma

Am J Surg Pathol. 1995 Mar;19(3):350-6. doi: 10.1097/00000478-199503000-00013.

Abstract

A rare case of pigmented renal cell carcinoma is presented. The tumor was yellow, somewhat elastic, and soft with focal gray and tan areas. Microscopically, the tumor was a typical renal cell carcinoma of the clear-cell type. Tumor cells containing brown pigment in the cytoplasm were scattered throughout the tumor. Ultrastructurally, the electron-dense granules consistent with the brown pigment noted at the microscopic level showed a coarse or fine granular matrix with or without homogeneous high electron-dense areas, resembling lipofuscin. However, the nature of the pigment was different from that of lipofuscin by the Masson-Fontana method after bleaching and rather similar to neuromelanin. The current case is a rare renal cell carcinoma with pigmentation attributed to abnormally excessive accumulation of neuromelanin pigment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Lipofuscin / analysis
  • Melanins / analysis

Substances

  • Lipofuscin
  • Melanins
  • neuromelanin