[Symptomatic angiomyolipoma of the kidney: report of 2 cases]

Renal angiomyolipoma is an uncommon benign tumor composed of adipose tissue, dysplastic blood vessels and smooth muscle. The tumor may occur as a distinct entity or in association with tuberous sclerosis. The diagnosis is usually easy but a malignant neoplasm can not always be excluded. Tumors smaller than 4 cm are mostly asymptomatic and usually do not need to be treated. For larger lesions a treatment is advisable especially in case of symptoms because of the risk of a severe hemorrhage. The treatment should be as conservative as possible and nephrectomy preformed only when a malignant tumor can not be excluded or in cases of life-threatening hemorrhage or widespread infiltration or complete destruction of the kidney. Today the treatment of choice should be embolisation and on second line resection of the lesion. Two cases of symptomatic angiomyolipoma are presented. Both cases are treated by radical nephrectomy.