Renal Angiomyolipoma - A Case Report

Angiomyolipomas are rare, benign tumours which are composed of an intimate admixture of blood vessels, smooth muscle cells and fat and hence the name. They occur at many sites, more commonly in the kidney. Usually they present as an incidental finding or with retroperitoneal haemorrhage in adults. They are seen in 25-50% of the patients with tuberous sclerosis. A 29 year old female presented with a mass in the left loin with a dragging pain, which was incidentally found during a medical check up. She had no evidence of tuberous sclerosis. A nephrectomy was done. Microscopy revealed the classical features of angiomyolipoma, which comprised of mature adipose tissue, thick walled blood vessels and bundles of smooth muscle cells. No epithelioid component was seen.