Staging of testicular carcinoma: comparison of CT and lymphangiography

Clinical staging by computed tomography (CT) and lymphangiography was compared in 27 patients with pathologically staged testicular carcinoma, primarily nonseminomatous tumors. The overall accuracy of CT was 89%; the sensitivity, 90%; and the specificity, 83%. The accuracy of lymphangiography for detecting nodal abnormalities was 70%; the sensitivity, 71%; and the specificity, 67%. In 48% of cases, CT provided better delineation of tumor margins. Also, CT detected retrocrural nodal enlargement in 14% of patients and hepatic metastasis in 5%. The usefulness and limitations of both methods are discussed along with their clinical implications.