A cystic nephroma, also known as multilocular cystic nephroma, mixed epithelial stromal tumour (MEST) and renal epithelial stromal tumour (REST),[1] is a type of rare benign kidney tumour.

Cystic nephroma
Micrograph of a cystic nephroma (left of image). Normal kidney is seen on the right. H&E stain.
SpecialtyOncology Edit this on Wikidata

Symptoms

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Cystic nephromas are often asymptomatic. They are typically discovered on medical imaging incidentally (i.e. an incidentaloma).

Diagnosis

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Cystic nephromas are diagnosed by biopsy or excision. It is important to correctly diagnose them as, radiologically, they may mimic the appearance of a renal cell carcinoma that is cystic.[2]

Pathologic diagnosis

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High magnification micrograph of a cystic nephroma showing the characteristic simple epithelium with hobnail morphology, and the ovarian-like stroma. H&E stain.

The characteristics of cystic nephromas are:

  • Cysts lined by a simple epithelium with a hobnail morphology, i.e. the nuclei of the cyst lining epithelium bulges into the lumen of the cysts,
  • Ovarian-like stroma that has a:
    • Spindle cell morphology, and has a
    • Basophilic cytoplasm.

Cystic nephromas have an immunostaining pattern like ovarian stroma; they are positive for:

Differential diagnosis

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Histopathologic types of kidney tumor, with relative incidences and prognoses. Cystic nephroma is seen at bottom right in pie chart.

Additional images

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References

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  1. ^ Turbiner J, Amin MB, Humphrey PA, Srigley JR, De Leval L, Radhakrishnan A, Oliva E (April 2007). "Cystic nephroma and mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of kidney: a detailed clinicopathologic analysis of 34 cases and proposal for renal epithelial and stromal tumor (REST) as a unifying term". The American Journal of Surgical Pathology. 31 (4): 489–500. doi:10.1097/PAS.0b013e31802bdd56. PMID 17414095.
  2. ^ Small JE, Jinnteh T, Hong X, Tuncali K, Seltzer SE, Ros PR (11 August 2003). "Cystic Nephroma". BrighamRAD Teaching Case Database. Archived from the original on 2004-10-24.
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