[Renal masses and indication to nephrectomy: preoperative assessment and clinical presentation of five cases]

In Switzerland, renal cancer represents 2% of adult neoplasia and its incidence is 8,2 cases per 100000 people. Small renal masses (< 4 cm) are mostly found incidentally during ultrasound or CT-scan evaluations. Differentiation between benign lesions (20% of renal masses < 4 cm), cancer and pseudotumors may be difficult. CT-scan plays a central role in the preoperative assessment, but the use of renal biopsy seems to have a growing importance in this assessment. This article summarizes the different diagnostic approaches in the preoperative assessment and describes five cases of nephrectomy for renal masses incidentally discovered.