[Clinical staging of malignant tumors by the TNM system. Contribution of modern imaging procedures in patients with testicular tumors].

For classification of testicular tumors in the TNM-System several modern imaging methods are available: sonography, conventional radiography, lymphography, computer-tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance and scintigraphy. Sonography--usually the first method to be used for reasonable classification--is significantly inferior to lymphography and CT for N and M staging. It remains to be seen if the NMR-methods will reach the good informative standard of CT. Only in the case of extensive lymphatic metastasis (bulky disease) are i.v. pyelogram and cavography still used to verify displacement of the ureter or infiltration of the tumor into the cava. In the nuclear medical field bone scintigraphy plays the main role for testicular tumor metastases.