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Case Reports
. 2012 Mar 27:2012:bcr0120125492.
doi: 10.1136/bcr.01.2012.5492.

Renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the paranasal sinuses and orbit

Evgenios Evgeniou  1 , Kavitha R Menon, Graeme L Jones, Heiki Whittet, Wynne Williams
Affiliations
Case Reports

Renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the paranasal sinuses and orbit

Evgenios Evgeniou et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

The authors report a rare case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis to the paranasal sinuses. The authors review RCC and its potential for sinonasal metastasis and discuss the variable presentation and need for clinical suspicion for early diagnosis and treatment. A 74-year-old man presented with numbness of the left side of the face, reduced visual acuity and ptosis 12 years after nephrectomy for RCC. Imaging studies showed a lesion in the left pterygopalatine fossa and the histological features supported the diagnosis of metastatic RCC. RCC metastasis to the paranasal sinuses is very rare and can present with various symptoms depending on the affected organ. These symptoms occasionally are the initial manifestation of renal RCC and it is very important to recognise them so that the patient receives the appropriate therapy to improve survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRI scan showing a lobulated mass in the left pterygopalatine fossa extending into the orbit producing proptosis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CT scan showing a mass in the left pterygopalatine fossa with destruction of the left greater wing of the sphenoid and erosion of the lateral wall of the left sphenoidal sinus.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma with cells containing clear cytoplasm arranged in glandular and solid architectural patterns (H&E stain).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with cells showing strong CD-10 immunochemical positivity, characteristic for RCC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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