Treatment of retroperitoneal fibrosis with tamoxifen: case report and review of literature.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of tamoxifen in the treatment of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis in one patient and to review the results reported in the literature.

METHODS

A 68-year-old man with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis and obstructive acute renal failure was admitted to our department. Bilateral ureteral stents were placed and tamoxifen 20 mg daily p.o. was started.

RESULTS

The ureteral stents were removed five months after tamoxifen therapy. IVP demonstrated normal appearance of the ureters nine months after medical treatment. An MRI scan showed an important decrease of the fibrotic periaortic mass at 12 months and then we stopped tamoxifen.

CONCLUSIONS

Actually tamoxifen represents an attractive and safe choice of medical treatment for retroperitonea fibrosis, particularly in the acute stages. Nevertheless, the duration of treatment, the effectiveness and the persistence of the results are still uncertain because few cases have been reported in the literature.