The case against fine-needle aspiration cytology for small solid kidney tumors

Conservative renal cell cancer surgery in elective conditions can be applied if the tumor is solitary and well delineated on the CT scan and easily resectable within a rim of healthy parenchyma. A number of solid tumors will prove not to be malignant on definite pathological examination. The radiological preoperative differential diagnosis of a small renal mass is not always obvious. The efficacy of fine-needle aspiration cytology in recognizing the pathology of the tumor before surgery is limited and major complications have been reported. Moreover, it can render a conservative surgical procedure less safe. Thus fineneedle aspiration cytology is not recommended if conservative surgery is planned, unless renal involvement by metastasis or lymphoma is suspected.