Catheterized urine cytology of mucinous carcinoma arising in the renal pelvis - A case report

BACKGROUND: Primary mucinous carcinoma of the renal pelvis is a rare tumor; therefore, criteria for cytologic diagnosis of this tumor have not been es tablished. CASE: An 81-year-old woman suffered from macro-hematuria for six months and was found to have a tumor in the right kidney by radiographic examination. Catheterized urine obtained from the right renal ureter was viscous and co ntained spherical clusters of cells with occasionally vacuolated, lacy and basophilic cytoplasm. In the small to medium-sized nuclei, chromatin was co arse and granular, and the nuclear membrane was thin and nearly smooth. Lar ge nucleoli were evident in some of the nuclei. These findings were consist ent with adenocarcinoma possibly of mucinous type. CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnosis of mucinous carcinoma is possible by cyt ologic findings of catheterized urine together with clinical data.