Identification of asymptomatic renal cell carcinomas utilizing modern radiographic techniques

The more liberal use of ultrasonography and computed tomography has made more common the incidental discovery of renal masses. The charts of 105 patients surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma at a teaching hospital from 1983 to 1987 were reviewed. The incidence of incidentally found asymptomatic tumors was 47% (49/105 patients). Of the incidentally found tumors, 55% were stage I and only 14% were stage III; for symptomatic patients, 39% of tumors were stage I and 27% were stage III. This study also found that the classical triad of pain, hematuria, and flank mass was present in only 3.8% (4/105) of patients. Tumors found incidentally will usually be of lower pathologic stage and may carry a better prognosis.