[Can pharmaco-DSA of the kidney replace intraoperative rapid biopsy diagnosis?].

QUESTION

Can primary nephrectomy be performed without preliminary sample excision of the tumor if pharmaco-angiography of the kidney has demonstrated the typical tumor vascularization?

MATERIAL AND METHOD

To clarify this question in 32 patients with "displacing mass" of the kidney, verified in sonography and computer-tomography, or hematuria of unknown origin, we prospectively performed and additional pharmaco-angiography of the respective kidney.

RESULTS

In 18 patients with tumor vascularization in the pharmaco-angiography, intraoperatively we found 15 malignant renal cell carcinomas, 1 patient with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, 1 leiomyosarcoma, and 1 high-differentiated tumor of only 2 cm in diameter with unclear dignity, which was treated by enucleation.

CONCLUSION

In case of an intrarenal lesion of more than 3 cm in diameter and additional tumor vascularization seen in selective pharmaco-angiography, the kidney undoubtedly can be removed by primary nephrectomy without a preliminary sample excision to confirm the diagnosis. For tumors with a diameter of less than 3 cm and additional tumor-vascularization, the option should be enucleation. If there is a "tumor" without typical malignant vascularization, the exploration by sample excision should be performed. Depending on the histological result the tumor should be removed by enucleation or nephrectomy.