Cystic nodal metastasis of renal cell carcinoma is very rare. The pathogenesis of cystic nodal metastasis is thought to involve obstruction of a lymphoid vessel draining the kidney by tumor cells and retrograde metastasis from the primary site to the lymph node along the lymphatic vessels. In this study, a surgical case of small renal cell carcinoma with retroperitoneal cystic nodal metastasis is reported.