title: Treatment of multiple synchronous misdiagnosed renal cell cancers in a young patient affected by a "de novo" Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant inherited syndrome occurring in one out of 36,000 live births. Diagnosis could be a challenge in patients with no familial VHL history. Renal cancer (RCC) represents one of the most important manifestations. RCC is usually recurrent and multifocal. Actually treating RCC in VHL patients represent a clinical dilemma: the oncological outcomes must be balanced against renal function preservation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A young man with a negative familial history was referred to our department with seven misdiagnosed renal masses. VHL disease was determined through genetic test. The multiple RCCs were treated by surgery and percutaneous thermal ablation by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with complete control of RCC and no impairment of renal function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case history confirms that VHL disease has to be suspected in young patients with evidence of synchronous multiple renal masses and in presence of specific clinical criteria.RFA appears to be safe in terms of oncological radicalism and in renal function preservation.In hereditary RCC, we should purpose, whenever it is possible, minimally invasive treatment in terms of low hospital stay and a minimal loss of renal tissue.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology - Department of Surgical Science, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allasia
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology - Department of Surgical Science, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pasini
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gazzera
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calandri
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology - Department of Surgical Science, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosio
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology - Department of Surgical Science, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gontero
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology - Department of Surgical Science, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Presidio Molinette, University of Turin, Turin - Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Destefanis