Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastases to the Oral Cavity: Report of 2 Cases and Review of Literature

The localization of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastases in the oral cavity has been reported, accounting for about 15% of patients with metastasizing renal disease. In this work, we report 2 cases of oral metastases of renal carcinoma and provide a review of the current literature on the occurrence of oral metastases of renal origin. The first patient (a 61-year-old man) presented with a tumefaction of the body of the tongue. The second patient (a 71-year-old man) showed a large mass localized in the buccal mucosa. In both patients, incisional biopsy was performed to better characterize the nature of the lesions. Histologic evaluation showed the metastatic origin of the 2 lesions, which were distant metastases of clear cell RCC. After systemic evaluation, a second surgical procedure was performed to obtain a wider resection of the mass to reduce the development of complications and improve the patients' quality-of-life. After the second surgical treatment, both patients showed an improvement in symptoms, and no further complications and/or signs of recurrence were detected. At present, 132 cases of oral metastases of RCC have been described in the literature. This article reviews and discusses the clinical, diagnostic, and pathologic features and the treatment options reported in the literature. Localization of renal metastases to the tongue was the most frequently described localization in the literature. In general, surgical treatment appears to be effective in controlling metastasis development and associated symptoms. Although relatively rare, renal metastases to the oral cavity should be taken into account when creating the differential diagnosis of oral lesions of unknown origin.