Kidney, Papillary renal cell carcinoma

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is the second most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), often showing predominant or exclusive papillary architecture, with a well-formed tumour capsule. Most of the sporadic PRCCs are characterized by trisomy of chromosomes 7 and 17, as well as loss of chromosome Y.

The section shows a well-circumscribed lesion with a papillary architecture in the form of discrete papillary fronds lined by neoplastic cells, with central fibrovascular cores. The papillae are covered by neoplastic cells with clear to amphophilic cytoplasm in a single cell layer. The cores of the papillae show variable amounts of foamy macrophages.