ACQUIRED CYSTIC KIDNEY-DISEASE IN PATIENTS ON LONG-TERM DIALYSIS - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 125 AUTOPSIES (PART 2 - TUMORS)

The possible relation of acquired cystic kidney disease to renal cell carcinoma resulted in an interdisciplinary concern about this disease. Kidneys from 125 autopsies of dialysis patients were studied. Twenty- four of the patients had tumors. Beside four renal adenocarcinomas and two urothelial carcinomas, incidental small tumor nodules were descri bed in 15.1%. Men had more nodules than women. Patients with nodules h ad a higher average cyst count, often with multilayered epithelium. Th ere was no difference in age or time of dialysis. This suggests a fact or which mediates cyst and tumor proliferation, independent from the t ime of dialysis. With the improvement in imaging techniques, an increa sing number of small renal tumors will be found. Further studies are n ecessary to evaluate the risk of small kidney cell tumors and their as sociation with acquired cystic kidney disease.