Isolated pleural metastases from renal cell carcinoma

A 71-year-old female was referred with three right-sided intrathoracic tumours. In 2003, she underwent radical left nephrectomy for renal cell cancer (RCC) clinical stage 1. She was since followed at her local hospital with annual computed tomography (CT)-scans during the first five years and did not present any symptoms until October 2009 when she was admitted with shortness of breath, cough and tiredness. The patient was scheduled for a diagnostic thoracoscopy when it was discovered that her lesions were not located in the lung parenchyma but were protruding nodules from the parietal pleura. Histology demonstrated metastases from RCC which apparently can reach the parietal pleura without lung metastases. 2011 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.