Diagnostic value of percutaneous biopsy of the renal masses

The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of percutaneous b iopsies of venal masses with comparison of pathological data between the bi opsies and the surgical specimens. Thus, we retrospectively studied 73 biop sies of patients, who were referred to our institution between 1995 and 199 7. The mean age of the patients was 60 +/- 14 years with a male predominanc e (67 %). Twenty per cent of the biopsies were negative. Eleven per cent of the biopsies were benign lesions (oncocytoma, angiomyolipoma, infectious l esions). For renal cell carcinomas, the correlation coefficient between bio psy histology and final pathology was 0.87. Conversely, it was only 0.36 fo r the Fuhrman grading. Nevertheless low (1-2) and high (3-4) grades were ac curately separated (0.92). We conclude that the percutaneous biopsy is a us eful tool for diagnosis of renal masses.