Malignant mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the kidney with rhabdoid features: report of a case including immunohistochemical, molecular genetic studies and comparison to morphologically similar renal tumors

Mixed epithelial stromal tumor of the kidney (MEST)/adult cystic nephroma (CN) is a lesion characterized by epithelial lined tubular or cystic structures interspersed within a variably prominent, distinctive spindle-cell stroma. Although typically benign, cases with malignant features have been reported. Herein, we report a MEST/CN with malignant stromal features and rhabdoid differentiation arising in the left kidney of an 84-year-old woman. Histologically, the tumor displayed multiple tubules and variably sized cystic structures lined by benign epithelium with an intervening malignant-appearing spindle-cell stroma. The malignant stroma displayed condensation in the regions surrounding the epithelial component consistent with the ovarian-like stroma typically observed in MEST/CN. In addition, the stromal cells displayed extensive rhabdoid differentiation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed strong expression of cytokeratin 7, CAM 5.2, AE1/AE3, wide-spectrum keratin, and epithelial membrane antigen by the epithelial component. The stromal component displayed strong immunohistochemical expression of WT-1, CD-99, CD-56, INI1, and estrogen receptor; focal actin positivity; and was negative for desmin, myogenin, and progesterone receptor. Analysis by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction failed to identify the SYT-SSX1 or SYT-SSX2 fusion transcripts characteristic of synovial sarcoma. To our knowledge, this represents the first report in the literature of malignant MEST with rhabdoid features and suggests that this entity should be considered in the diagnosis of renal stromal malignancies with prominent rhabdoid features.