Evaluation of complicated renal cyst: a comparison of CT and MR imaging
Yamazaki, Y.; Toma, H.; Nakazawa, H.; Nakamura, R.; Kato, N.; Ryoji, O.
Hinyokika Kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica 38(6): 635-640
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0018-1994 PMID: 1632316 Document Number: 403975
We report 12 cases of renal cystic lesions that could not be diagnosed preoperatively. Sonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and angiography were performed in all cases. Angiography was not helpful in evaluating cystic lesions, because all cystic lesions were hypovascular or vascular within the cystic mass. CT was useful in depicting the fine structural abnormalities, and especially bolus-contrast CT study was useful in the differentiation of cystic renal cell carcinoma from simple renal cyst. However, there were 5 false positive cases. MR imaging is superior to CT in distinguishing a hemorrhagic cyst or multiloculated cystic mass. In conclusion, CT is currently the primary imaging modality for evaluating complicated renal cysts, and surgical exploration is warranted for the undiagnosed cystic lesion by CT. However, MR imaging also has an important role in detecting the benign complicated cyst. Therefore if complicated cysts is thought to be benign by MR imaging, parenchyma-sparing surgery should be considered preoperatively.