[Histological findings following preoperative catheter embolization in hypernephroid renal carcinoma (author's...

The authors investigated the histological findings in various embolization materials and at various interval before operation in 11 hypernephroid renal carcinoma patients who had been subjected to a preoperative transfemoral catheter embolization of the renal artery. The embolization materials used were fibrin-thrombin, pieces of gelatine sponge, collagen and GAW-spirals. The periods at which nephrectomy was carried out ranged from immediately after the embolization to six weeks later. From the histological point of view, total necrosis of the tumour did not occur in any case; only in three cases could a subtotal necrosis be achieved and in all the other cases the tumour-free parenchyma showed greater damage as a result of more pronounced ischemic infarction than did the tumour. A complete and lasting elimination of a tumourous kidney cannot be achieved by embolization of the renal artery. The obvious reasons for this are the tendency towards recurrence of canalization and the formation of collateral circulation.