[Computer tomography-guided puncture of the retroperitoneal space].

A CT-guided fine-needle puncture was performed in 42 patients with renal or retroperitoneal space-occupying growths identified by means of computed tomography. In 18 out of 24 patients (75%), CT-guided fine-needle puncture enabled verification of malignant neoplasias, relapses and metastases by means of identification of malignant cells. In 9 out of 13 patients suspected of retroperitoneal abscess, fine-needle puncture helped to establish the diagnosis by a positive bacteriological finding. In 5 cases, CT-guided anterograde pyelography and percutaneous nephrostomy were effected after puncture of the renal pelvis by means of sonography had failed. CT-guided puncture should be used as an additional or complementary examination over and above computed tomography alone whenever a space-occupying growth is present the aetiology of which remains unclear. CT-guided puncture is indicated on principle in retroperitoneal space-occupying growths which cannot be properly defined by sonography.