Robot-Assisted Retroperitoneal Lymphadenectomy In A Patient With Type I Papillary Renal Cancer Recurrence After Five Years Of Follow-Up: A Case Report.
Abstract INTRODUCTION: Papillary renal cell carcinoma is a rare cancer and is the second most frequent histologic type among all renal cell carcinoma, accounting for up to 15%. Patients with type 1 PRCC are diagnosed at a lower stage and present a lower nuclear grade compared to type 2.CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old man underwent a right radical nephrectomy 7 years ago for a 10 cm mesorenal mass with a final histopathological diagnosis of a papillary renal cell carcinoma type 1 pT2a with negative surgical margins.Five years after the surgery, computed tomography (CT) scan imaging showed the presence of multiple masses suspicious for node recurrences disease localized in the renal lodge, in the inter-aorto-caval space, at the iliac vessel bifurcation and right common iliac vessels. Patient underwent a robotic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. The operative time was 114 min, estimated blood loss 200 ml; length of hospital stay 4 days. The abdominal drainage was removed at first post-operative day. No perioperative complications. The removed lesions confirmed on histopathological examination the recurrence of type I papillary renal cancer at: renal lodge, inter-aorto-caval space, iliac bifurcation, common iliac lymph nodes. No further recurrences on surveillance imaging 24 months after his procedure.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We present the first description of minimally invasive surgical excision for a papillary type I renal cancer nodal recurrence and renal fossa recurrence.Our present study shows that patients treated with surgical excision for isolated RPLN recurrences may afford select patient durable cancer control.The robotic approach can be offered as an effective modality of treatment in this rare case of type I papillary renal cancer metastases.The extent of resection, as well as the optimal integration of surgery and systemic therapy, remain to be determined in this setting.