[Local staging with CT of tumors of the upper urothelium].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the ability of computerized tomography (CT) to stage transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.


METHODS
29 transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract submitted to nephroureterectomy were retrospectively evaluated. All 29 tumors had preoperative CT scans performed to stage the lesion. The pathological staging was compared to that of CT.


RESULTS
10 of the 29 tumors had CT evidence of tumor extension and 19 had localized noninvasive tumor on CT. Of the 10 patients with CT findings of tumor extension, 2 (20%) had superficial tumors and 8 (80%) had tumors that invaded into the adventitial fat, renal parenchyma or perirenal fat (pT3, pT4). Of the 19 patients with localized noninvasive tumor on CT, 13 (68%) had superficial tumors and 6 (32%) had pT3 or pT4 tumors. CT sensitivity for tumor invasion was 57% with a specificity of 87.5%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our analysis shows that CT is of limited value in staging these tumors. When CT demonstrates direct tumor extension through the renal pelvic or ureteral wall, it is a sensitive indicator of high-stage tumor. However, the results obtained in low stage tumors must be viewed with caution.
Zapater Serrano
I
I
Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.
Lample Lacasa
C
C
Blanch Labrador
M A
MA
Lozano Arranz
M P
MP
del Agua Arias-Camisón
C
C
D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D019459:Urothelium
Estadiaje local mediante TC de los tumores del urotelio superior.