Recidive of renal cell carcinoma tumor thrombus in inferior vena cava via lumbar vein

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) develops tumor thrombus in the renal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC) in 10% of cases. Surgical treatment is radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy of the IVC. Local recidive can develop in the lumbar fossa, lymph nodes, and the IVC. We report a 58-year-old patient admitted to the Clinic for Urology at the Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia, in February 2009 with RCC of the left kidney and tumor thrombus in the IVC. After ultrasonography exam and multislice computed tomography scan, we performed radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy of the IVC (level II). Four months after the operation, ultrasound exam and cavography showed intracaval and paracaval recidive tumor masses in the renal part of the IVC. On operation we removed intraluminal IVC thrombus, which arises from the lumbar vein on the IVC posterior wall, with paracaval thrombus in the lumbar vein. We conclude that RCC tumor thrombus can spread from the kidney to the IVC through the lumbar vein.