Pulmonary metastases of a renal angiomyolipoma: A case report, with whole-exome sequencing analysis

We present a case of pulmonary metastasis originating from renal angiomyolipoma (AML), as evidenced by whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis. Although AML predominantly arises in the kidneys, it can emerge in various body parts, making it important to distinguish between multicentric development and metastasis. However, previous studies have not distinguished between these conditions. Our case features an 82-year-old woman with a history of renal AML who presented with multiple, randomly distributed, bilateral pulmonary nodules of varying size and pure fat densities. The patient's condition followed a benign course over 10 years. Through WES, we discovered shared mutations in pulmonary lesions that were absent in the patient's blood, including a pathological mutation in TSC2, suggesting a metastatic origin from renal AML. Knowledge of the pulmonary manifestations of AML and their distinctive imaging findings can help radiologists and clinicians diagnose and manage patients with similar presentations.