Digital ischemia and gangrene preceding renal neoplasm. An association with sarcomatoid adenocarcinoma of the kidney.

A 63-year-old woman had acute onset of rapidly progressive Raynaud phenomenon and digital gangrene. Prior to the detection of a sarcomatoid renal carcinoma, prominemt hypergammaglobulinemia, microhematuria, and weight loss were noted. Following nephrectomy, the patient showed improvement of the Raynaud phenomenon, with complete healing of digital ulcers and decrease of gama-globulin levels. Immunofluroescence studies demonstrated substantial deposits of IgG that lined the tumor cells in a linear and diffuse pattern. Electron-dense deposits were seen in the endothelium of arterioles int the tumor by electron microscopy. These findings suggest that antibodies to tumor antigens may have participated in the induction of digital vasculitis and Raynaud phenomenon.