[Unilateral renal agenesia and transitional cell carcinoma: report of 2 cases].

OBJECTIVE

To describe two cases of unilateral renal agenesis complicated by the association of a urothelial carcinoma and review the literature.

METHODS

After reviewing our series of transitional cell carcinoma, we found two cases with associated unilateral renal agenesis. Case 1: A 46-year-old male with grade III stage C transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder that was treated sequentially by transurethral resection of the bladder, systemic neoadjuvant polychemotherapy (gemcitabin, taxol and cisplatin) before radical cystectomy and Bricker urinary diversion were performed. Due to the extent of the tumor, complementary adjuvant therapy was administered, but the patient died 10 months after cystectomy due to disease progression. Case 2: An asymptomatic 71-year-old male in whom renal agenesis and ureteral pelvic filling defect, which was treated by ureterectomy, were incidentally discovered during a routine abdominal study. At one year follow-up, no evidence of tumor recurrence has been observed.

RESULTS

23 patients with unilateral renal agenesis in association with different endocrine or genitourinary cancers have been reported in the literature. In unilateral renal agenesis anomalies of some of the genes involved in renal development occur and may lead to dysplastic growth of the embryologically related organs and an increased risk of developing tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

93% of the tumors reported in patients with unilateral renal agenesis were found to arise from the genitourinary organs.