Diagnosis and treatment of renal angiomyolipoma

A series of nine patients surgically treated for histologically verified renal angiomyolipoma is presented. Only one patient had extrarenal stigmata of tuberous sclerosis. No evidence of malignancy was found. In three cases a preoperative diagnosis was achieved with computed tomography (CT), use of which is recommended in evaluation of renal tumours. Six angiomyolipomas were solitary and three bilateral. Abdominal or flank pain was present in eight cases and perirenal haemorrhage in four. Solitary tumours were treated with nephrectomy. For bilateral tumour, nephrectomy and conservative renal surgery were used in two cases and bilateral nephrectomy and kidney transplantation were performed in the third case. When adipose tissue containing renal tumour is demonstrated at CT, conservative surgery should be considered.