Introduction
The propensity for chronic renal disease, particularly pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, and carcinoma, to be accompanied by anemia is well known in clinical medicine. More striking, though less frequently seen, is the association of renal disease, usually carcinoma of the kidney, with polycythemia. This coincidence was mentioned incidentally by Bliss,1 in 1929, and since then has been documented by numerous others.2-28 At the present time we are aware of 60 cases associating renal disease with polycythemia which have been either mentioned or described in detail in the literature. Fortyseven of these record the coincidence of primary carcinoma and polycythemia,* 3 report patients with hydronephrosis and polycythemia,20,22,26 5 patients are described in whom polycythemia and "polycystic disease" coexisted.9,25 There is one report in each instance associating polycythemia with benign adenoma of the kidney,12 sarcoma of the kidney,26 tuberculosis of the kidney,23 secondary renal carcinoma,3