Synchronous pancreatic metastases from asymptomatic renal cell carcinoma.

CONTEXT

Pancreatic involvement from metastatic renal cell carcinoma accounts for 0.25-3% of the cases. The distinction between primary pancreatic clear cell tumour and metastatic deposits from renal cell carcinoma may lead to diagnostic difficulties. Usually metastasis from renal cell carcinoma presents many years after the primary tumour has been resected. A typical metastatic lesion in pancreas is seen as hyper-vascular lesion on CT scan. Any such lesion should be first biopsied before resection.

CASE REPORT

We report herein the case of a patient with a solitary pancreatic metastatic head lesion from renal cell carcinoma was successfully resected before asymptomatic primary could be identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Early identification of pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is possible with characteristic appearance on radiological imaging and surgical resection of the metastasis provides better results.