Management of Small Renal Lesions

Critical Exclusion Criteria

• The American College of Medical Genetics recommends regular imaging surveillance at 1-3 year intervals for patients with tuberous sclerosis complex 1
• Patients with a family history of renal cell carcinoma or genetic renal tumor syndrome require complete upper tract imaging regardless of appearance, as suggested by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2
• The presence of associated symptoms such as hematuria, flank pain, or constitutional symptoms requires complete evaluation, according to the American Urological Association 2

Characterization of Renal Lesions

• Renal stones <3mm are usually not identified sonographically and are detected by shadowing, as reported in the Annals of Emergency Medicine 3
• Medullary pyramids can mimic pathology, especially in young patients, as noted in the Annals of Emergency Medicine 3