title: Mediastinal lymph node metastasis of renal cell carcinoma: A case report.
abstract: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may metastasize to mediastinal lymph nodes without any abdominal lymph node involvement. The present study describes an autopsy-proven case of RCC presenting with a large mediastinal mass; the case had been previously misdiagnosed as small cell lung carcinoma due to imaging analysis results, an elevated serum level of neuron-specific enolase and the presence of small atypical cells with a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Despite RCC occurrence being rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis, particularly when a mass located in the kidneys presents with metastases to the mediastinal lymph nodes, even if there is no involvement of the abdominal lymph nodes and the primary lesion is of a small size.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Ryugasaki Saiseikai Hospital, Ryugasaki, Ibaraki 301-0854, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Ryugasaki Saiseikai Hospital, Ryugasaki, Ibaraki 301-0854, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Ryugasaki Saiseikai Hospital, Ryugasaki, Ibaraki 301-0854, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurishima
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hizawa
keywords: clear cell carcinoma; mediastinal lymph node metastasis; renal cell carcinoma