[Wilms tumor in adults. Case description].

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of adult Wilms' tumor, a kidney tumor that is more common in children and has a scanty incidence in adults.

METHODS/RESULTS: A case of Wilms' tumor in a young male, aged 16 years, is described. The patient underwent partial surgical resection initially and nephrectomy due to tumor recurrence, with postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Although approximately 200 cases of adult Wilms' tumor have been reported in the literature, few meet currently accepted diagnostic criteria. The diagnosis of adult Wilms' tumor based on the findings of currently available diagnostic methods is only presumptive until the surgical specimen is analyzed. Most cases are treated as renal tumor and it is the findings of the pathological analysis that defines its nature and the need for chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, as well as long-term follow-up. The application of therapeutic protocols for children to adults has not obtained the same percentage of cure or prognosis, although a large multicenter study is warranted to confirm the foregoing.