BENIGN RETROPERITONEAL FIBROSIS AND RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA

We report benign retroperitoneal fibrosis associated with renal cell c arcinoma in a 56-year-old woman. Based on the preoperative evaluation and initial surgical exploration, the retroperitoneal mass was assumed to be metastatic renal cell carcinoma and chemotherapy rather than su rgical resection was offered to the patient. A second opinion was soug ht and repeat exploration revealed a resectable renal cell carcinoma a nd retroperitoneal tissue that was pathologically benign idiopathic re troperitoneal fibrosis. This report emphasizes that a patient with an otherwise resectable primary tumor must undergo multiple, deep biopsie s of retroperitoneal masses before making a presumptive diagnosis of m alignant retroperitoneal fibrosis secondary to metastatic cancer.