Renal cystic disease: radiologic appearance

The great diversity of the various forms of renal cystic disease results in a formidable diagnostic challenge to the roentgenologist and clinician alike. Until recently, adequate diagnosis required surgical exploration or biopsy, or both, to establish benignity or to confirm the suspicion of a more esoteric form of renal cystic disease. Now, however, with refinements in excretory urography with tomography, bolus and infusion nephrotomography, selective renal arteriography, percutaneous aspiration of cysts, and sonography, the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis of cystic disease has approached that of surgical exploration and biopsy. In addition these noninvasive techniques eliminate the morbidity and mortality associated with surgical procedures.