Premium
Ultrastructural study of a sarcomatoid variant of renal cell carcinoma
Author(s) -
Deitchman Bruce,
Sidhu Gurdip S.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19800901)46:5<1152::aid-cncr2820460513>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - pathology , ultrastructure , biopsy , autopsy , medicine , renal cell carcinoma , adenocarcinoma , carcinoma , electron microscope , cancer , physics , optics
The light and electron microscopic features of a sarcomatoid variant of renal cell carcinoma are presented. On light microscopic examination, the initial biopsy specimen showed only a sarcomatoid pattern, but rare transitions to a papillary adenocarcinoma were seen in a few metastatic foci in subsequent autopsy material. However, ultrastructural examination of the biopsy tissue showed frequent desmosomal junctions, confirming the epithelial nature of the neoplasm. Complex lateral plications suggested a renal tubular cell origin. We feel that electron microscopic examination of biopsy material in such cases can be of diagnostic value.