To categorize the renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) and their imaging characteristics; To review the new staging and scoring methods available; To illustrate various renal tumors using the new scoring systems by means of pictorial examples.

The commonest kidney malignancy is renal cell carcinoma (90% of all renal tumors) [1], which consist in different subtypes with specific histopathological and genetic characteristics. The clear cell carcinoma is the most common histologic subtype, accounting for 70%–80% of all RCCs [1]. With the widespread use of ultrasound and CT, most RCCs are now diagnosed incidentally during imaging performed for other reasons, leading to an earlier diagnosis [2]. Consequently, the tumors have smaller sizes and are at lower stages at diagnosis. These smaller lesions raise...

The renal neoplasms can be divided into different subtypes according to their cell origin (table 1). Renal cell carcinoma is the most common renal tumor and is divided in clear cell carcinoma (70-80%), papillary (10-15%), chromophobe (5%), collecting duct carcinoma and renal medullary carcinoma (2-5%) [4]. Table 2 summarizes the main imaging characteristics of the renal cell carcinomas and other lesions that should be excluded when a mass is found, including benign lesions that shouldn´t be treated. Although there are multiple imaging characteristics about renal...

The scope of this work is to call the attention of the radiologists to the need of being acquainted not only with the well widespread TNM staging system, but also with the new scoring systems, since their conjoint use is crucial to manage the best treatment approach of renal masses. Since the advent of R.E.N.A.L., 3 more systems appeared and, although they have demonstrated to be reproducible inter-observer, they all have inherent strengths and weaknesses. Because some difficulties have been detected when applying the renal...

Patricia Leitão Department of Radiology, Hospital São João, Porto, Portugal [email protected]

[1] Dyer R., DiSantis DJ et al. Simplified Imaging Approach for Evaluation of the Solid Renal Mass in Adults. Radiology 2008. 247:2; 331-343. [2] Willatt J, Francis IR. Imaging and management of the incidentally discovered renal mass. Cancer Imaging 2009. 9 (Special issue A); S30-S37. [3] Novick AC, Campbell SC, et al. Guideline for management of the Clinical Stage 1 Renal Mass. American Urological Association 2009. [4] Eble JN, Saulter G et al. Pathology and Genetics of Tumors of the Urinary System and Male Genital...