RENAL ONCOCYTOMA WITH A TRANSLOCATION T(911)(P23Q13)

We report a case of renal oncocytoma and confirm a tumor type specific translocation between chromosomes 9 and 11, that is t(9;11)(p23;q13q2 3). Each of the 45 cytogenetically analyzed metaphases of tumor cells showed a translocation of the long arm of chromosome 11 at q13 to chro mosome 9 at 9p23 and to chromosome 20 at 20q13 that resulted in the fo llowing karyotype: ;11)(p23;q13q23)ins(20;11)(q13;q23q25),del(22q13). Since genes encoding mitochondrial enzymes are clustered around the tr anslocation site of chromosomes 11 and 20, they may have a role in the tumorigenesis of renal oncocytoma. In addition, if the development of oncocytomas shows different cytogenetic pathways the cytogenetic aber ration of t(9;11)(p23; q12q13) can be of diagnostic help in differenti ating a subset of oncocytoma from renal cell carcinoma.