A rare cause of acute urinary retention: urethral metastasis from renal cell carcinoma.

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the urethra is exceedingly rare, with only three cases of metachronous metastases previously reported. We report a 78-year-old man with acute urinary retention secondary to urethral metastasis presented as the first clinical manifestation. Subsequent investigation confirmed a primary in the right kidney. Radical nephrectomy and total penectomy were performed aiming for cure, though the patient died with brain metastases 22 months after the surgery. The incidence and route of spread of the disease are discussed. The presentation, treatment and outcome of the reported cases are reviewed.