The significance of lymph nodal involvement in renal angiomyolipoma.

Renal angiomyolipoma, a benign tumor, can involve regional lymph nodes. Although this phenomenon has been reported previously followup information has been scant. We have treated 3 patients who had renal angiomyolipoma with nodal involvement and all had further evidence of tuberous sclerosis. Each patient had hematuria with flank pain and required nephrectomy. In the ensuing 3 to 11 years none of these patients has had evidence of further disease progression. Nodal involvement may reflect the multicentricity of angiomyolipoma or may represent a form of "benign metastasis" but it does not appear to be a harbinger of disease progression.