Nonneoplastic renal cortical scarring at tumor nephrectomy predicts decline in kidney function.

CONTEXT: Evaluating nontumor portions of tumor nephrectomies is useful to diagnose nonneoplastic renal disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the medical renal disease frequency and to assess the prognostic significance of the various renal pathologic variables with long-term follow-up in tumor nephrectomy patients.

DESIGN: We reviewed nonneoplastic kidney sections of 456 consecutive cases from 1998 to 2008. Seventy-five cases were excluded (19 tumor compression, 25 no nonneoplastic tissue, 22 embolized kidneys, 9 end stage). Special staining, immunofluorescence, and/or electron microscopy was performed where appropriate. Vascular sclerosis was scored from mild to severe; interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy and global glomerulosclerosis (GS) were expressed as percentages. Follow-up, minimum 12 months, was evaluated in 156 cases. All renal pathologic variables were compared with regard to change in creatinine level from preoperative assessment to follow-up.

RESULTS: Of 381 cases, 57 had additional medical renal disease (15%), most frequently diabetic nephropathy (28) and hypertensive nephropathy (11). Postoperative creatinine levels increased significantly in patients with severe arteriosclerosis or arteriolosclerosis, >5% GS, and >10% interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy. Seventy-four percent of cases with additional nonneoplastic diagnoses showed severe arteriolosclerosis. Higher corresponding GS was seen in the more affected vascular cases: mean, 5.56% GS for mild versus 23% GS for severe. Three patients progressed to renal failure 1 to 4 years after nephrectomy, 2 with hypertensive nephrosclerosis and 1 with diabetic nephropathy.

CONCLUSIONS: Medical renal disease was identified in 15% of tumor nephrectomy specimens. The degrees of vascular sclerosis, GS, and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy are predictive of elevated creatinine levels in postnephrectomy patients. Prognostic implications of the nontumor pathology are important in nephrectomized patients.