Renal Medullary Carcinoma with an Aggressive Clinical Course: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare, yet aggressive malignancy of the kidney that is found predominantly in young patients with African descent and sickle cell hemoglobinopathies and most specifically sickle cell trait. Due to its aggressive nature, most cases have metastasis or local invasion at the time of diagnosis. Prognosis is extremely poor with survival less than 1 year after diagnosis. Here we present a case of metastatic RMC in a 29-year-old African female. Despite chemotherapy with cisplatin, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel, and initial shrinkage of the tumor, the patient died 5 months after diagnosis.

Keywords

• African descent
• Sickle cell anemia
• Sickle cell trait
• Kidney tumor
• Renal medullary carcinoma
• Metastasis