CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF INFILTRATING TRANSITIONAL-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE KIDNEY

We reviewed the sonographic, CT and angiographic findings in 19 patien ts with infiltrating transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney. Sonogr aphy revealed a defect of the central echo in Is patients, and a low o r slightly low echoic tumor in 15. Enhanced CT showed a poorly margina ted tumor with lower attenuation than that of normal parenchyma in all 8 patients examined. Angiography showed narrowing and stretching of i nterlobar and arcuate arteries arranged radially from the renal hilus in all 11 patients examined and fine neovascularity in 10. These findi ngs, especially the angiographic findings, were useful for distinguish ing this disease from the common type renal cell carcinomas, and other infiltrating diseases of the kidney, such as lymphomas and sarcomas. Since the prognoses of these patients were poor with 1- and 2-year sur vival rates of 11.6 and 5.8%, respectively, careful examination of the above-mentioned findings was stressed to diagnose this disease.