Chest radiography versus chest CT in the evaluation for pulmonary metastases in patients with Wilms' tumor: a retrospective review.
BACKGROUND
Determination of the presence of pulmonary metastases in children with Wilms' tumor is an important part of staging and treatment. We sought to compare the efficacy of chest radiography (CXR) and chest CT in the evaluation for pulmonary metastases in patients with Wilms' tumor.


METHODS
This retrospective study included 83 children with Wilms' tumor diagnosed between 1980 and 1993. All patients with pulmonary nodules (n = 12) as well as 14 Wilms' tumor patients without pulmonary metastases (control group) had blinded review of the CXR and chest CTs by three pediatric radiologists. Presence, size, and certainty of metastatic diagnosis were recorded. Medical records were reviewed. The remaining 57 patients had review of their medical and imaging records to confirm the absence of pulmonary metastases.


RESULTS
Ten of the 12 with pulmonary masses had imaging available for review. Eight had both positive CXR and chest CT examinations. Two patients had pulmonary nodules seen by CT only: one had a right cardiophrenic angle mass and died as a result of liver metastases. The other had a solitary nodule, which proved to be a plasma-cell granuloma. Overall, the CXR and chest CT data concur in 79/81 (98%).


CONCLUSIONS
CXR alone appears adequate for the diagnosis or exclusion of pulmonary metastases in patients with Wilms' tumor.
Wootton-Gorges
S L
SL
The Children's Hospital, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Radiology, Denver 80218, USA.
Albano
E A
EA
Riggs
J M
JM
Ihrke
H
H
Rumack
C M
CM
Strain
J D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D009396:Wilms Tumor