Renal imaging for diagnosis and staging of renal cell carcinoma

Radiologic evaluation of renal masses has rapidly progressed from conventional angiography and intravenous urography to CT and MRI. As more patients are imaged for various reasons, the incidental detection of renal masses has increased. Although most of these lesions are benign cysts, neoplastic disease is also uncovered. Some of these lesions require surgery, whereas others do not. The ability to characterize these lesions accurately, to determine their appropriate management, and to stage renal malignancies has been afforded by continuously improving imaging techniques. This article reviews the use of CT and MRI in the diagnosis and staging of malignant renal disease and its differentiation from nonsurgical renal masses.