[Radiofrequency ablation for recurred renal cell carcinoma in the solitary kidney due to von Hippel-Lindau disease--indication and tip on how to prevent the thermal injury of the adjacent organs].

A 48-year-old female with the von Hippel-Lindau disease had the recurred renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) in the left remnant kidney after the right nephrectomy and partial resection of the left kidney due to the multiple RCCs. We performed radiofrequency ablation (RFA) under CT guidance for the treatment of that recurred tumor. As the tumors were adjacent to the descending colon, we injected the carbon dioxide gas (a dissection technique) during a radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedure to displace the descending colon from the tumors. As a result, we were able to successfully achieve RFA for the recurred tumors without any complications including the intestinal thermal injury such as wall thickening or perforation. The patient survives well 5 months after RFA without the local recurrence. RFA in the solitary kidney is safe and effective treatment to preserve the remaining renal function, and the dissection technique using with carbon dioxide gas is also useful to avoid the thermal injury of the adjacent organs.