[Value of computer tomography and lymphography for staging of malignant testicular tumors]

Findings of computer tomographic and lymphographic examinations of 74 patients were evaluated concerning their evidence in the pretherapeutic staging compared with the histological results of lymphonodectomy. The security of the computer tomography was about 82.4%, the specifity about 95.12%, the sensitivity about 66.66%. Lymphographically, a security of 85.14%, a specifity of 95.12% and a sensitivity of 66.66% was achieved. The combination of the methods achieved a security of 91.7%, a specifity of 100% and a sensitivity of 71.72% was achieved. Metastases of lymphatic nodes less than 0.5 cm diameter were not recognized by means of the two methods. In 2 cases no metastases, which were not covered by means of computer tomography, could not be recognized lymphographically in slightly enlarged lymphatic nodes. In contrast to this in 11 out of 74 patients (14.8%) in the computer tomography an enlargement of the findings was the result in comparison to lymphography. Since none of the two methods is absolutely reliable for the proof or the exclusion of smaller metastases, in a secure evidence of the computer tomography before a lymphonodectomy the lymphography can be omitted.