[Calcified kidney masses. Study of 23 cases]

We consider the presence of calcifications in a series of 107 renal masses by means of simple X-ray, echography and CAT, in which 23 cases (21.4%) were found. The most effective exploration for revealing them was CAT (in 13% of the cases, the only one). We found a relative higher frequency of calcification in the benign masses (31%) than in the neoplastic ones (17%). In the latter we found no differences in survival as compared with the non-calcified ones. No pattern of calcification proved characteristic of benignity or of neoplasia. The variety of malignant renal mass most often calcified was the papillary hypernephroma (57.1%).