1985 Volume 76 Issue 3 Pages 371-377
A total of 159 cases of renal cell carcinoma received treatment at the Jikei University Hospital during the 20 years' period from 1963 to 1982 were reviewed. Metabolic syndrome i was seen n 86 (54.1%) out of these cases, in 14 cases (8.8%) of which it was present without any other symptoms. Among the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, the commonest one was fever which was seen in 61 cases (38.4%), followed by weight loss in 36 cases (22.6%), general malaise in 35 cases (22.0%), anorexia in 30 cases (18.9%), gastrointestinal symptoms in 15 cases (9.4%) and varicocele in 15 cases (9.4%). Fever was a frequent symptom in cases which had renal mass and it was often accompanied by accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hepatic dysfunction. Although it was not correlated with the stage, its incidence was high in high graded cases, indicating poor prognosis. In 6 (40%) out of 15 cases of varicocle, hepatic dysfunction was seen as the complication. Most of the other symptoms of metabolic syndrome were seen more frequently in cases with high grade and stage than in those with lower grade and stage. The hematological syndrome included anemia in 33 cases (20.8%), polycythemia in 3 cases (1.9%) and accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 96 cases (60.4%). Anemia was not related to the presence or absence of hematuria, but it was seen more frequently in high graded and staged cases. The incidence of accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate was higher for cases with high grade and stage, and it was associated with fever, increase in α2-globulin and anemia in most of the cases. The prognosis of thses cases was poor. As the biochemical syndrome, hepatic dysfunction was seen in 21 cases (13.2%), increase in α2-globulin in 91 cases (57.3%) and hypercalcemia in 13 cases (8.1%). Hepatic dysfunction was not related to either the grade or the stage of tumor. Increase in α2-globulin was seen more frequently in cases with high grade and stage. In many of these cases it was associated with anemia and acceleration in sedimentation rate, with poor prognosis.
