A paraneoplastic retroperitoneal fibrosis resistant to corticosteroids treated with tamoxifen

Clin Nephrol. 2008 Aug;70(2):172-5. doi: 10.5414/cnp70172.

Abstract

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare disease characterized by an inflammatory proliferative fibrosing process occurring in the retroperitoneum, often causing urinary tract obstruction. Medical therapy is not well-defined, but glucocorticoids have been the mainstay of therapy. Recently, positive response to tamoxifen, an antiestrogen drug, has been reported among patients with RPF. We report the case of a 65-year-old male with a renal cell carcinoma in the upper pole of the right kidney showing acute renal failure due to a biopsy-confirmed RPF determining bilateral hydronephrosis. After polar resection of the right kidney, a high-dose oral steroid therapy did not modify the hydronephrosis. At 6 months, therapy with tamoxifen determined the retroperitoneal fibrotic mass regression and resolved the ureteral obstruction, that persists at the 13th month of follow-up. Tamoxifen can be considered as an effective alternative to corticosteroids and immunosuppressors in treating RPF.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Estrogen Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retroperitoneal Fibrosis / drug therapy*
  • Retroperitoneal Fibrosis / pathology
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Estrogen Antagonists
  • Tamoxifen