Case – Malakoplakia in a 58-year-old male following living donor renal transplantation

Malakoplakia is a granulomatous disease originally named by Von Hansemann in 1903 following the first description of the condition by Michaelis and Gutmann one year prior.1 The name was derived from the macroscopic appearance of “soft plaques” (which in Greek translates to malakos plakos).1 Malakoplakia is a rare pseudotumour that arises in the context of recurrent infections, particularly in the immunocompromised setting.2 It is most commonly found in the urinary tract, but has been reported in other organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and lungs.3 While the exact pathophysiology of the disease state remains unknown, it is thought to involve dysfunctional tissue macrophages termed von Hansemann cells.1 Histologically, Michaelis-Gutmann bodies are basophilic cellular inclusions and are pathognomonic for the diagnosis of malakoplakia.