Collecting duct carcinoma of the kidney: a case report and review of the literature.

Collecting duct carcinoma of the kidney is unique and rarely reported. The histological and ultrastructural characteristics of this tumor are well described in the pathological literature. However, there are few reports documenting the clinical presentation and long-term prognosis in patients with this unusual malignancy. Collecting duct carcinoma arises from the epithelium of the collecting tubules within the medulla and secondarily invades the renal cortex. The tumor occurs in a younger age group than is typical for renal cell carcinoma and most patients appear to have metastatic disease at presentation. We describe a case of this uncommon tumor and review the literature.