Management of Small Renal Masses

Call for Papers

This special issue aims at summarizing distinct aspects of the management of small renal masses nowdays, focusing on its epidemiology, pathological aspects, prognosis, and mostly the different treatment strategies.

During the last two decades, we all have observed an astonishing increase in the detection of small renal masses, which, generally speaking, we assume to be under 4 cm although there is not a clear cut-off for the definition of a small renal mass. The increase in longevity and medical attention demanded by the population and mainly due to the popularization of sonography among different colleagues, even as a first visitation test in many offices, are some of the classical reasons to justify this phenomenon, but maybe not the unique ones.

All these have led the evolution from radical to partial nephrectomy as the gold standard technique for the treatment of these masses, based on the high percentage of benign masses within this cohort and also the same oncological data when renal cell carcinoma is reported among both techniques.

Then laparoscopy came into scene and partial nephrectomy was finally adopted as a difficult technique but with improved quality of life issues compared to open partial nephrectomy and with the same oncological outcome. While we were attending the slow generalization of this approach, or maybe due to its intrinsic difficulty, we are now receiving many other minimally invasive techniques trying to compete with the previous surgical procedures, namely, radiofrequency, cryoablation, HIFU, and so forth. But, is it necessary to treat all these masses? It is clear that approximately 25% of these masses are not malignant, and there is growing evidence that not all these masses will kill our patients.

This special issue will be focused on the characterization of the present small renal masses and the different management possibilities. We invite authors to present personal experiences, reviews, and opinions around the issue

list of topics to be covered is as follows:

  • Epidemiology of renal masses
  • Incidental diagnosis and clinical symptoms: prognosis aspects
  • Histological characterization of small renal masses
  • Necropsy studies: incidence of silent renal masses
  • Concept of renal adenoma: useful or old term
  • Radiology of small renal masses
  • Familial syndromes coupling with small renal masses
  • Genetic counselling in renal masses
  • Potential role of percutaneous biopsy in small renal masses
  • Size as a prognostic factor in renal masses
  • Multifocality and renal masses
  • Watchful waiting in front of a small renal mass
  • Importance and limits of ischeamia in renal partial surgery: experimental and clinical research
  • Open partial nephrectomy
  • Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy
  • Cryoablation
  • Radiofrequency
  • HIFU

Authors should follow the Advances in Urology manuscript format described at the journal site http://www.hindawi.com/journals/au/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/, according to the following timetable:

Manuscript DueApril 1, 2008
First Round of ReviewsJuly 1, 2008
Publication DateOctober 1, 2008

Guest Editors

  • J. Rubio, Department of Urology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, C/ Prof. Beltrán Báguena 8, 46009 Valencia, Spain
  • F. Algaba, Department of Pathology, Fundación Puigvert (IUNA), C/ Cartagena 340, 08025 Barcelona, Spain