Metastases from renal cell carcinoma presenting as gastrointestinal bleeding: Two case reports and a review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Bleeding from small bowel neoplasms account for 1-4% of cases of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Renal cell carcinoma constitutes 3% of all adult malignancies and often presents insidiously. Consequently 25-30% of patients have metastases at the time of diagnosis. Gastrointestinal bleeding from renal cell carcinoma metastases is an uncommon and under-recognised manifestation of this disease. Case Report: In this report we describe two cases of gastrointestinal bleeding from renal cell carcinoma metastases - in one patient bleeding heralded the primary manifestation of disease and in the other signified recurrence of disease following nephrectomy. Conclusion: These cases highlight the importance endoscopic vigilance in cases of undiagnosed upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, especially in patients with a past history of renal cell carcinoma. © 2007 Sadler et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.