The use of modern radiologic methods in identifying incidental renal cell carcinoma

The increased use of ultrasonography and computed tomography has made the incidental discovery of renal masses more common. With this factor in mind, the records of 109 patients with renal cell carcinoma diagnosed and treated at Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) between 1983 and 1990 were reviewed to determine how many cases were "incidentally diagnosed." Thirty-two (29 percent) of these patients had their renal cell carcinoma discovered incidentally; and of these tumors, 47 percent were Stage I and only 13 percent were Stage IV; for symptomatic patients, 22 percent were Stage I and 36 percent were Stage IV. This study also found that the classic triad of pain, hematuria and flank mass was present in only six of 109 patients (5.5 percent). Tumors found incidentally will usually be of lower pathological stage and may carry a better prognosis.