Comparison of various methods of diagnosis of renal cystic masses.

Two hundred fifty patients with renal cystic masses were evaluated by several diagnostic modalities, including sonography, angiography, cystography, and cytology. This presentation demonstrates the relative advantages of these methods as well as their relative level of confidence and diagnostic accuracy. When the lesion fulfilled all of the sonographic criteria for a cyst, no further diagnostic evaluation was warranted. If sonographic criteria were not met, cyst aspiration appeared to be the most definitive procedure.