We describe the clinical features, outcome, pathology, cytogenetics, and molecular aspects of 13 pediatric papillary renal cell carcinomas during a 19year period. Seven cases (54%) had translocations involving Xp11.2 (TFE3). They were identified by cytogenetic, molecular, and/or immunohistochemical analyses. All Xp11.2+ translocations were TFE3+ by immunostaining. Cytogenetic and/or polymerase chain reaction analyses identified 3 cases with t(X17) and 1 case with t(1;17), and all had additional translocations. Histologic features in common in TFE3+ tumors also were present in some TFE3– tumors. One TFE3– tumor had complex cytogenetic abnormalities, 55XY,+2, del(3)(p14),+7,+8,+12,+13,+16,+17,+20[11], and 2 cases had normal karyotypes. None had t(6;11)/TFEB+ immunostaining. Five cases had focal, weak MITF tumor immunostaining. The key clinical findings were as follows: (1) The presence of an Xp11.2 (TFE3) translocation frequently is associated with advanced stage at initial examination. (2) All patients who underwent complete, partial nephrectomy with clear margins (adequate only for stage 1) and resection of metastases were alive and relapse-free at last follow-up. (3) The mean ± SD eventfree survival and overall survival rates at 5 years were both 92% ± 7.4%. (4) One patient with a TFE3+ and MITF+ tumor and 66-87,XXY,der(1)t(1;8)del(4)(q?) der(11)t(11;15)der17t(X;17) abnormalities died 9 months after diagnosis. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare childhood tumor constituting fewer than 0.3% of all tumors and 2.6% of renal neoplasms in children and adolescents younger than 15 years, 1 and, given its rarity, it has been difficult to determine whether pediatric RCC differs from its adult counterpart. However, reports suggest that the clinical and pathologic features of pediatric RCC are different from those seen in older adolescents and young adults. 2 In children, most cases consist of papillary histologic features, 3 whereas among the 4 types of RCC (clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, and collecting duct), the clear cell type predominates in adults (75%); in younger adults (1845 years), Cao et al 4 found that 53% were clear cell, 12% were papillary, 8% were chromophobe, 2% were oncocytoma, and 26% were in a miscellaneous group (that comprised Xp11.2 translocation carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, cystic nephroma, metanephric biphasic tumor, and mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma). Cytogenetic and molecular studies have suggested that abnormalities in the Xp11.2 region involving the TFE3 gene might account for a significant proportion of pediatric RCC, with these tumors representing a subset of papillary RCC. Therefore, RCC associated with Xp11.2 translocations/TFE3 gene fusion is listed as a separate entity in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the urinary system. 5 Moreover, multiple chromosomal translocation partners can be fused to TFE3 at Xp11.2 in this subset of RCCs. The 2 most common forms are the t(X;17)(p11.2;q25) translocation that fuses the transcription factor gene TFE3 with the ASPL gene on 17q25, 6-15 and the t(X;1)(p11.2;q21)