Wilms tumour
The most common primary renal malignancy of childhood, arising from embryonic nephrogenic tissue; also called nephroblastoma.
Full Definition
Wilms tumour (nephroblastoma) is a malignant embryonal neoplasm of the kidney, typically presenting in children under five years of age. It arises from persistent metanephric blastema and is characterised histologically by a triphasic pattern of blastemal, stromal, and epithelial elements. Favourable histology (absence of anaplasia) carries a markedly better prognosis than the anaplastic variant. Editors should note the accepted British spelling 'tumour' used in pathology reports outside the United States, whereas North American journals may use 'tumor'. The eponym honours German surgeon Max Wilms and should always be capitalised.
Usage
Usage note: Use the eponym with capital 'W'; do not lower-case to 'wilms tumour'. 'Nephroblastoma' is the preferred term in WHO classifications and may appear alongside the eponym in the same document — do not treat as an error.
In Context
- "The surgical pathology report confirmed a stage II Wilms tumour with favourable histology and clear resection margins." — Surgical pathology report
- "Unlike neuroblastoma, Wilms tumour rarely calcifies on imaging, a distinction editors must preserve when transcribing radiology correlation notes." — Multidisciplinary case summary