Abstract
To elucidate the significance of renal mass detection by abdominal ultrasonography (US)in general health checkup. Thirty-Six renal cell cancer (RCC) and 16 renal benign tumor patients among 462,831 subjects detected by US in general health screening were reviewed in Tokyu Hospital between January 1986 and December 2002. Thirty six RCCs were all treated by surgery (33 nephrectomies including 3 hand-assisted lararoscopic nephrectomies and 3 partial nephrectomies). Only one case was recogmized macroscopic hematuria and 2cases identified microscopic hematuria, preoperatively. Pathological grade of 36 RCCs revealed G1; 25 cases, G2; 10 cases and G3: 1 case. Pathological stage revealed pT1a; 16cases, pT1b; 19 cases and pT3a; 1 case. Mean diameter of detected RCCs was significantly(p=0.0016) smaller in last 18 cases (3.4±1.0), compared with those of initial 18cases (4.8±1.1). All patients showed no eventful recovery and no obvious recurrence sign during mean observation period of 4.5 years. While,16 patients diagnosed renal benign tumor were collected after 1993. Thirteen cases among them were diagnosed angiomyolioma and 2 cases were complicated renal cysts. Last one was renal adenoma diagnosed pathologically by needle biopsy. US screening in general health checkup is thought to be not only useful to discover curative stage of RCC but recently also to detect benign counterpart of renal tumor.
