Failed partial nephrectomy: local recurrence vs. multicentric disease.

Candidates for partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma include those with (1) bilateral synchronous lesions, (2) tumour in a solitary kidney and (3) renal mass and borderline renal function. Present imaging techniques aid in the identification of appropriate candidates for partial nephrectomy and in the preoperative assessment for technical feasibility of the operation. Studies have shown that the postoperative local recurrence rate ranges from 9 to 13%. We submit a case report in which a 65-year-old male with a history of colon carcinoma four years earlier was found to have a 3 cm left lower pole lesion on his follow-up abdominal CT scan. Upon intended partial nephrectomy, a small synchronous upper pole mass was noticed as well as numerous cortical lesions despite extensive preoperative imaging to the contrary. It is our feeling that finer imaging techniques including thinner CT cuts, additional imaging planes and continued use of renal ultrasound will aid in the identification of ipsilateral, synchronous lesions and draw further distinction between local recurrence and multicentric disease.