[Is adrenalectomy always advisable in tumor nephrectomy?].

Since the addition of ultrasonography and computerized tomography to the diagnostic tools used for the recognition of renal tumor masses, detection of renal cell carcinomas has been much earlier and more reliable than formerly. Between July 1981 and June 1990, 335 patients without distal metastases underwent radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. In only 2.6% of the patients were adrenal metastases found, exclusively with stage pT3 tumors. The results of this review suggest that the adrenal gland need not be removed with the radical nephrectomy specimen in the case of tumors staged T1 or T2 if the adrenal CT scan is normal.