title: Ultrasonic detection of renal tubular carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava.
abstract: Extension of renal tubular carcinoma into the ipsilateral renal vein and vena cava has been reported to occur in about 5 per cent of the cases. In those patients without demonstrable metastases the 5-year survival rate with aggressive surgical management is 50 per cent. The preoperative diagnosis of tumor extension into the vena cava is important when planning a surgical procedure. A high degree of clinical suspicion, coupled with invasive preoperative roentgenographic evaluation has been the mainstay of diagnosis. We report a case in which gray scale ultrasonography proved to be an important diagnostic test for delineating the extent of a vena cava tumor thrombus.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior