Introduction to the diagnostic methods of renal hamartoma

Renal hamartomas can occur not only in the kidneys, but also in the brain, eyes, heart, lungs, bones, etc. Renal hamartomas were not very common in the past, but the incidence has increased year by year with the increase of social pressure in recent years. So, what are the diagnostic methods for renal hamartomas?

Diagnostic Methods

Small lesions of the urinary system may be asymptomatic and are often discovered accidentally during physical examinations such as ultrasound or CT scans. Large tumors may cause gastrointestinal symptoms due to compression of the duodenum or stomach. If spontaneous rupture causes bleeding in or around the tumor, it may cause low back pain or even sudden severe pain. In severe cases, shock may occur in a short period of time. Hematuria is rare.

Extrarenal manifestations include butterfly-shaped sebaceous adenomas on the face, epilepsy, intellectual impairment, etc.

The diagnosis can be confirmed based on the above symptoms and signs combined with imaging examinations.

The diagnosis of renal hamartoma is generally not difficult and can be confirmed through B-ultrasound, CT or MRI.

Differential Diagnosis

Renal malignant tumor: Renal hamartoma contains a large amount of adipose tissue, and the difference in acoustic impedance between fat and surrounding tissue is very large, so it appears as a strong echo on B-ultrasound examination; and because renal cancer does not contain adipose tissue, it appears as a low echo on B-ultrasound examination, but sometimes atypical renal hamartoma with very little fat component is encountered, and it is difficult to distinguish it from renal cancer. By the same principle, adipose tissue appears as low density on CT, and a negative CT value can be diagnosed as a hamartoma, but hamartoma with little fat component is also difficult to distinguish from renal cancer under CT. Magnetic resonance imaging is also a good method for diagnosing hamartomas. However, in clinical practice, for hamartomas with little fat component, it is often necessary to combine B-ultrasound, CT and MRI scanning to make a clear diagnosis.