Clinical analysis of bilateral native pelvic and ureteral transitional cell carcinoma following renal transplantation

Objective To investigate the clinical features of bilateral native pelvic and ureteral transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in renal transplant patients. Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on 16 patients with bilateral native pelvic and ureteral TCC after kidney transplantation.The mean time between transplantation and diagnosis of upper urinary TCC was 56. 2 ± 33. 0 months.Two patients were suffered from bilateral upper urinary TCC at the same time. The mean interval between 2 upper urinary tract operations of the remaining 14 cases was 8. 6 ± 6. 7 months. Hematuria and hydronephrosis of native kidneys were the main symptoms and targets in checkup. Intravesical chemotherapy was postoperatively given. Results All operations were performed successfully. All specimens obtained from the operations were pathologically diagnosed as TCC. The TCC location involved pure native pelvis (n = 4), pure native ureter (n = 9), and pelvis combined with ureter (n = 19). Pelvic TCC pathological grades included grade 1 in 8 cases, grade 2 in 11 cases, and grade 3 in 4 cases; Ureteral TCC grades included grade 1 in 6 cases, grade 2 in 10 cases, and grade 3 in 12 cases.Patients were followed up for 26. 8 ± 25. 1 months. One patient died of lung metastasis. (One case of lumbar soft tissue transfer was given local excision. The remaining patients had no recurrence and metastasis. Conclusion Renal transplant patients with hematuria and native renal hydronephrosis should be highly vigilant of the occurrence of upper urinary tract TCC. TCC after renal transplantation is invasive. Prophylactic contralateral nephroureterectomy should be performed on the recipients having TCC at the bladder and one side of native upper urinary tract. Key words: Kidney transplantation;  Renal pelvis tumor;  Ureter tumor;  Transitional cell carcinoma