Fatal evolution of a renal angiosarcoma

OBJECTIVES: Report a new case of renal angiosarcoma treated by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy with bad results. METHODS: 72-year-old male undergoing right nephrectomy for renal tumor. Pathology reports renal angiosarcoma. RESULTS: Three months after surgery patient refers lumbar pain and hemoptysis and CT scan reveals the existence of multiple bone and lung metastasis; a regimen of systemic chemotherapy with Doxorrubicine+ Ifosfamide was started without response; he died two months later. CONCLUSIONS: Primary renal angiosarcoma is very rare, with less than 10 cases in the literature before 1998, and it is always associated with bad prognosis. Diagnosis is based on immunohistochemical studies (antibodies against CD31, CD34 and factor VIII related antigen) to define the endothelial differentiation of the tumor. There is no experience to define the best therapeutic strategy against this entity.