Epithelial tumors of the kidney, pathological subtyping and cytogenetic correlation

The recent new morphological classification of epithelial renal tumors has overcame the former unspecified adenoma and carcinoma classification by int roducing a specific sub-typing. Today we divide in oncocytic and metanephro genic renal cell adenomas, clear cell-, papillary-, chromophobe-, and colle cting duct associated renal cell carcinomas, and transitional cell- and neu roendocrine renal carcinomas. These entities are characterized by a definit e immunohistological marker spectrum and differing histogenetic pathways. N ew cytogenetic data have proven specific chromosomal aberrations for the di fferent tumor types and have confirmed the morphological classification. Ce rtain genetic changes are correlated to specific pathological phenotypes es pecially in oncocytic tumors. it is possible now to propose an in part hypo thetical kidney tumor model which describes the development and progression of adenomas and carcinomas of the kidney in an adenoma-carcinoma sequence.