title: [Limitations of ultrasonography in the detection of small cancers of the left kidney].
abstract: Renal ultrasound seems to be more difficult on the left than on the right side. In a retrospective analysis of 343 patients in whom a radical nephrectomy for renal tumor diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography had been carried out, we analyzed the characteristics of these tumors. TNM classification was used. Right kidney tumors (n = 170) were smaller than the left ones (n = 172), 58 +/- 31.7 mm and 66.8 +/- 31.5 mm respectively, the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.01). Right kidney tumors of a less advanced stage (p < 0.05). Asymptomatic renal tumors were found more frequently on the right side (58.7%) than on the left (41.3%) (p = 0.03) and were smaller on the right (44 mm +/- 19.6 vs 54.5 mm +/- 27.2) (p = 0.04). In conclusion, Ultrasound exploration of the left kidney seems to be more difficult, mostly because the exploration of the right kidney is facilitated by the acoustic window of the liver.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Urologie, Hôpital Cochin, Paris.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pessis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peyret
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zerbib
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thiounn
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Flam
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chevrot
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Debré
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Limites de l'échographie dans la détection des petits cancers du rein gauche.