Background: The classification of renal cell neoplasms includes different subtypes of tumors characterized by different outcome. Some overlapping morphological features and the increasing recognition of new entities are making the traditional histologic distinction of renal cell neoplasms difficult and more tools improving the specificity of the correct identification are needed. Among molecular analyses, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization have become the most helpful procedures, solving many issues in the differential diagnosis of the renal cell neoplasms.
Objective: The aim of this review is to merge the large amount of recent knowledge regarding molecular markers of renal cell neoplasms into a helpful diagnostic algorithm.
Conclusion: It is proposed that immunoreactions for CD10, Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase, cytokeratin 7, parvalbumin and S100A1, and the cytogenetical analysis of chromosomes 3p, 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 17 and Y can now offer the most specific tools for the classification of renal cell tumors.