A 69-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with symptoms of left flank pain and hematuria. On physical examination, the blood pressure is 165/96 mmHg, heart rate is 104/min, and the abdomen is soft and nontender. There is some left costo-vertebral angle tenderness on percussion. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen reveals a 5-cm mass in the left kidney. (See Figure below) Which of the following laboratory abnormalities might also be present?
This patient likely has renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Polycythemia is caused by the production of erythropoietin-like factors. There is no relationship to hypertension. The tumor frequently presents as metastatic disease. Thrombocytopenia is not a feature of RCC, and hypercalcemia may occur if there is bone metastasis. High renin production does not occur in RCC either.
polycythemia
thrombocytopenia
hypocalcemia
leukocytosis
Oncology