Upper tract urothelial tumors. Diagnostic efficiency of radiology and urinary cytology.

86 patients presenting with upper tract urothelial tumor were investigated by conventional X-ray techniques and urinary cytology. Pyelography, intravenous or retrograde, was diagnostic in 85% of the cases and urinary cytology in 43%. Pyelography can stage correctly 80% of the infiltrating tumors, and urinary cytology 66% of the high grade lesions. Altogether 97% of the high grade infiltrating tumors can be accurately staged preoperatively on the basis of pyelography and urinary cytology. In the future retrograde brush biopsy and CAT scanning should optimize these figures.