[Accidental discovery of renal cancer by ultrasonography]

A retrospective study of 152 consecutive patients admitted for renal carcinoma between January, 1969 and August, 1987 showed that these patients could be divided into two groups, the dividing line being 1980, date of the advent of ultrasonography. Compared with the 68 patients treated between 1969 and 1980, the 84 patients treated between 1981 and 1987 had a significantly greater number of asymptomatic renal carcinomas. The asymptomatic tumours discovered incidentally by ultrasounds were less advanced than the symptomatic tumours, the difference between the 2 groups being highly significant. The diagnosis of asymptomatic renal carcinoma at an early stage suggests that these tumours might have a better prognosis. These data underline the usefulness of a systematic study of the kidney during all abdominal or vesicoprostatic ultrasonographic explorations.