Waikato clinicians publish rare renal NET case in international oncology journal

A team of Waikato Hospital and University of Auckland clinicians has had a rare neuroendocrine tumour case published in the international journal Case Reports in Oncology in April 2025. The case is one of fewer than ten of its kind described in the medical literature worldwide.

The patient – a 51-year-old man – presented to Waikato Hospital with severe low potassium, a skin infection and new diabetes. Investigation traced the cause to a tumour in one kidney that was secreting ACTH, a hormone that triggers the adrenal glands to overproduce cortisol. The combination is known as ectopic ACTH-driven Cushing's syndrome, and it can be fast-moving and dangerous if not recognised early.

The team used two medications, ketoconazole and metyrapone, in tandem to bring his hormone levels under control before surgery. Once stable, the affected kidney was removed. His blood chemistry returned to normal and he made a full recovery.

The report's authors include Dr Veronica Boyle and Associate Professor Marianne Elston from the Department of Endocrinology at Waikato Hospital and the University of Auckland's Waikato Clinical Campus, alongside colleagues in radiology, urology and a co-author now based in Adelaide.

For New Zealand patients and whānau, the takeaway is reassuring rather than alarming. Renal NETs of this type are extremely rare, and the case illustrates that when the right specialists work together quickly, even unusual presentations can be diagnosed and treated successfully right here in Aotearoa. It also adds to the small but growing body of NZ-led NET research that helps clinicians around the world recognise these tumours sooner.

Sources

Source 1: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Source 2: karger.com