Renal cell carcinoma of clear type: correlation of CT features with tumor size, architectural patterns, and pathologic staging

The purpose of this study was to report the CT findings of renal cell carcinoma of clear type (RCCCT) and to determine if there are characteristic morphologic features in RCCCT with respect to tumor size, architectural patterns, and pathologic stage. The CT scans of 35 patients with RCCCT were reviewed retrospectively. The CT findings (tumor size, attenuation patterns, presence of calcifications, encapsulation, margins of neoplasms, venous involvement by neoplasms) were correlated with tumor size, architectural patterns, and pathologic staging. Of the 35 neoplasms, 28 (80 %) were solid, 4 (11 %) were papillary, and 3 (9 %) were cystic. Complete encapsulation was more frequent in lower pathologic stages (40 % in stages 1 and 2 vs 0 % in stages 3 and 4; p < 0.05). Venous involvement was less frequent with completely encapsulated neoplasms (0 of 10, 0 %) than with incompletely or nonencapsulated neoplasms (8 of 25, 32 %; p < 0.05). Encapsulated RCCCT are more likely to have lower pathologic stage. Nonencapsulated neoplasms are more likely to have a higher pathologic stage.