Ultrasound, computed tomography and surgical observations in the evaluation and staging of the renal cell carcinoma

Abstract EN

Background : The evaluation and staging of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has dramatically changed with the introduction of cross-sectional imaging.

Nowadays, small renal lesions are easily detected by computed tomography (CT) examination while missed by other modalities.

Objective : To determine whether ultrasound (US) or CT scan is the optimum imaging modality for the evaluation of the renal masses.

Patients and methods: This is a comparative study in which 30 patients with hematuria were attending the urological consulting clinic in Ghazzi Al-Harriry hospital, Baghdad, Iraq from May 2016 to July 2017 were subjected to abdominal US and CT scan.

Results : The patients included in the study were 19 females and 11 males.

The results of US, unenhanced and contrast CT for characterization of the consistency of renal mass were 63.4 %,56.7 %, and 60 % respectively for the solid, while the cystic were 23.3 %,23.3 %, and 26.6 % and for complex was 13.3 %,20 % and 13.4 % respectively.

The size of the masses was compatible in 60% of cases.

Mass surface regularity was compatible in 93.4 %.

Regarding mass position, the US showed that 96.7 % to be confined to the kidney and 4.3 % extended outside, while 66.6 % were judged to be confined by CT scan, which is nearly similar to the operative findings which revealed 60 % localized masses to kidney and 40 % extending outside the kidney.

Conclusion : the US is a good modality to start with in the assessment of renal lesions, but CT scan is still the main tool to diagnose and stage RCC.