Renal clear cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer pathology, accounting for approximately 60-85% of kidney cancers. It can be diagnosed largely by imaging examinations such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI, and each has its own characteristics.
Ultrasound manifestation of renal clear cell carcinoma: Generally, it is mainly hypoechoic, but some of them may be hyperechoic or inhomogeneous, especially when the tumor is large, the internal tumor is prone to bleeding, necrosis, liquefaction and even calcified foci, so it appears as inhomogeneous echogenicity; when the tumor compresses the renal pelvis, it may deform the pelvis and even cause hydronephrosis; when renal clear cell carcinoma forms renal vein or inferior vena cava When renal clear cell carcinoma forms renal vein or inferior vena cava cancer thrombus, it can manifest as intravascular hypoechoic and vascular lumen blockage.
CT scan+enhancement of the kidney is highly sensitive for the diagnosis of renal clear cell carcinoma, which is mainly a round, oval, or irregular shaped mass in the kidney, and can be confined to the kidney when the tumor is small, or protrude outside the kidney when it is large; the tumor is usually hypointense when CT scan is performed, and can show different degrees of enhancement after enhancement.
Magnetic resonance is superior to CT in the staging of advanced renal clear cell carcinoma, especially in the diagnosis of venous thrombosis and brain metastases. Venous cancer thrombosis appears as moderate signal in T1WI or high signal in T2WI on magnetic resonance.