Conventional CT signs in staging transitional cell tumors of the upper urinary tract

Objectives: To determine conventional computed tomography (CT) signs in the diagnosis and staging of upper urinary tract tumors (UUTTs). Methods: Retr ospective study was made of the CTs of 82 patients diagnosed with UUTTs, Ni ne CT signs were defined and compared with the pathology of the surgical sp ecimen. A chi(2) test was used for statistical analyses, Results: We review ed the CTs of 93 UUTTs in 82 patients, of which 36% were invasive and 12% h ad positive lymph nodes, Renal parenchymal invasion was found in 82% of hig h-grade and in 18% of low-grade tumors (p = 0.001). 94% of the tumors with signs of renal parenchymal invasion were invasive (p < 0.001), as well as 8 8% of those appearing as renal masses (p = 0.005), with a global sensitivit y of 64% and specificity of 97%. The CT sensitivity and specificity of dete cting infiltration of the ureter was 67 and 77%, respectively, and no sign was statistically significant. The detection of lymph node involvement had a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 98%. Conclusions: CT offers goo d sensitivity (87.5%) and specificity (98%) in the detection of lymph node involvement, and 64% sensitivity and 97% specificity for the detection of r enal tumor invasion.