Renal cell carcinoma differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis

 * Renal cell carcinoma
 * Metastasis from an extra-renal primary neoplasm
 * Renal lymphoma
 * Squamous cell carcinoma
 * Juxtaglomerular tumor (reninoma)
 * Transitional cell carcinoma
 * Angiomyolipoma
 * Oncocytoma
 * Wilm's tumor

In particular, reliably distinguishing renal cell carcinoma from an oncocytoma (a benign lesion) is not possible using current medical imaging or percutaneous biopsy.

Renal cell carcinoma may also be cystic. As there are several benign cystic renal lesions (simple renal cyst, hemorrhagic renal cyst, multilocular cystic nephroma, polycystic kidney disease), it may occasionally be difficult for the radiologist to differentiate a benign cystic lesion from a malignant one. A famous radiologist named Dr. Morton Bosniak developed a classification system for cystic renal lesions that classifies them based specific imaging features into groups that are benign and those that need surgical resection.