Urologie pro praxi 1/2022

Small renal masses: contemporary trends in management approach

Small renal masses which are defined as tumours smaller than 4 cm represent a subset of renal tumours with low malignant and metastatic potential. They are commonly diagnosed incidentally in an asymptomatic stage on abdominal ultrasound, CT or MRI examination which are performed for another indication. The management of small renal mass is individual. The main treatment is surgical resection of renal mass, the alternative is focal ablation of the tumour. Active surveillance remains for a highly selected group of patients. Percutaneous renal mass biopsy is recommended prior to tumour focal ablation and should be considered in patients undergoing active surveillance.

Keywords: small renal mass, focal ablation, nephrectomy, partial nephrecomy, active surveillance.