Hereditary renal tumor syndromes

Kidney tumors may develop in association with hereditary tumor syndromes. The clinical presentation of these dis- orders is various, and in some cases, the renal tumor is the first manifestation of the syndrome. Thus, pathologists need to be aware of the gross and histological signs that may suggest the possibility of a tumor syndrome. In this paper, we summarize and illustrate the characteristics of kidney tumors, genetic background along with the extrarenal manifestations in the following diseases: Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma syndrome, hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma syndrome, Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, hereditary paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma syndrome, and inherited BAP1 tumor syndrome. At the end of the manuscript, we discuss the tumor syndromes with increased risk of Wilms tumors. Such patients require a holistic approach and multidisciplinary care. Our work aims to make those involved in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney tumors aware of these rare diseases that require life-long surveillance.