Pancreatic metastasis of renal cell carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

The pancreas is an uncommon site of metastases from renal cell carcinoma; however in the literature late pancreatic metastases are described. In this report a 74 years-old asymptomatic man was referred for evaluation of a mass in the distal portion of the pancreas, found on CT 4 years after right nephrectomy for a renal cell carcinoma. A distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were performed and histopathological analysis revealed to be a metastases from renal cell carcinoma. A postoperative pancreatic fistula was treated in a conservative way. The patient is alive and doing well 3 years after pancreatic surgery. This clinical report suggests that late pancreatic metastases are rare but not impossible and should be taken into consideration during a careful long-term follow-up for renal carcinoma. In addition, as it is also desumed by the Literature on survival, pancreatic metastases should be treated when possible with radical resection.