Primary retroperitoneal tumours, in the material of our department

After giving a brief survey of the literature, the authors discuss the symptomatology, diagnostics and management of retroperitoneal tumours. Four of their own cases treated between 1979 and 1985 summarized in tables are presented. All of them were operated and three of them received irradiation therapy. The fate of the first patient is unknown. The second patient survived for 24 months following the first operation, with additional three operations and irradiation on two occasions for recurrence of tumour. The third patient survived for 5 months. In the fourth, it could be revealed by ultrasound and angiography that the retroperitoneal tumour was independent of the kidney. Thus, the intact left kidney was preserved during operation. The patient died three months postoperatively at the department of pulmonology. The histological finding of the tumours of all patients was a malignant tumour of mesenchymal origin, a type of sarcoma. Based on their experiences, the authors stress the importance of the early recognition and removal of the tumour, since the patients have a poor chance of surviving these extremely malignant sarcomas in spite of the surgical and irradiation therapies.