Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer

Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) is a disorder in which affected individuals tend to develop benign tumors containing smooth muscle tissue (leiomyomas) in the skin and, in females, the uterus. This condition also increases the risk of kidney cancer.

In this disorder, growths on the skin (cutaneous leiomyomas) typically develop in the third decade of life. Most of these growths arise from the tiny muscles around the hair follicles that cause "goosebumps". They appear as bumps or nodules on the trunk, arms, legs, and occasionally on the face. Cutaneous leiomyomas may be the same color as the surrounding skin, or they may be darker. Some affected individuals have no cutaneous leiomyomas or only a few, but the growths tend to increase in size and number over time. Cutaneous leiomyomas are often more sensitive than the surrounding skin to cold or light touch, and may be painful.

Most women with HLRCC also develop uterine leiomyomas (fibroids). While uterine fibroids are very common in the general population, women with HLRCC tend to have numerous large fibroids that appear earlier than in the general population.

Approximately 10 percent to 16 percent of people with HLRCC develop a type of kidney cancer called renal cell cancer. The signs and symptoms of renal cell cancer may include lower back pain, blood in the urine, or a mass in the kidney that can be felt upon physical examination. Some people with renal cell cancer have no symptoms until the disease is advanced. People with HLRCC are commonly diagnosed with kidney cancer in their forties.

This disorder, especially if it appears in individuals or families without renal cell cancer, is also sometimes called multiple cutaneous leiomyomatosis (MCL) or multiple cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis (MCUL).