Accuracy of computed tomography in staging of kidney tumors.

Computed tomography was performed in 125 patients with kidney tumors for pretreatment staging. The accuracy of CT staging was then determined by correlating the CT findings with the pathologic findings (111 patients) or with the angiographic findings (14 patients). Perirenal extension was correctly predicted in 79 per cent of all the patients, lymph node involvement in 87, main renal vein involvement in 91, infiltration of the inferior vena cava in 97 and invasion of neighboring organs in 96 per cent. It is concluded that CT should be the baseline procedure for the assessment of the extent of spread of renal tumors.