Lipomatous tumors of the kidney and adrenal: apparent echographic specificity

Several fatty tumors of the kidney and adrenal gland were evaluated by gray scale ultrasound. An extremely dense echogenic pattern was common to all lesions. There were three solitary angiomyolipomata (renal hamartoma), a presumed diffuse hamartomatous involvement of the kidney in a patient with tuberous sclerosis, and one myelolipoma of the adrenal gland. This marked echogenicity is thought to be a feature of fatty tumors and enables relatively specific preoperative diagnosis of these lesions, all of which are benign. With regard to renal angiomyolipoma, this assessment may allow conservative treatment and preservation of functioning renal tissue.