Bilateral multicentric papillary renal tumors with heteroclonal origin based on tissue-specific karyotype instability.
BACKGROUND
Papillary chromophilic renal tumors were cytogenetically characterized by combined trisomies 7 and 17 along with other numeric chromosome aberrations. They occurred as bilateral multifocal lesions.


METHODS
A patient was presented who simultaneously developed bilateral multicentric papillary renal tumors. Tissue specimens from six tumors and tumor-free kidneys were cytogenetically characterized.


RESULTS
The tumors showed trisomy of chromosomes 7, 16, and 17 along with various other numeric abnormalities. In normal tissue from both kidneys, a wide variety of clonal and nonclonal numeric and structural chromosome aberrations were found.


CONCLUSIONS
The cytogenetic heteroclonality of the tumors strongly favors the assumption that they arose as independent primaries. A tissue-specific karyotype instability may be the basic event of multiple tumorigenesis.
Henn
W
W
Department of Human Genetics, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Zwergel
T
T
Wullich
B
B
Thönnes
M
M
Zang
K D
KD
Seitz
G
G
D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery