Can subcentimetre ultrasound detected angiomyolipomas be safely disregarded

AIM To optimise follow-up by dismissing lesions on baseline ultrasound (US) if renal lesions conform to US criteria of an angiomyolipoma (AML). METHOD AND MATERIALS The present study was a 10-year retrospective review of patients who were found to have incidental hyperechoic renal lesions on US to ascertain the outcome from subsequent imaging, clinical encounters, and cancer registrations. Exclusions included renal calculi, tuberous sclerosis, Von-Hippel–Lindau, or a known cancer. RESULTS After excluding 39 patients, 1,493 patients were identified. One hundred and sixty had more than one lesion with 87 patients having bilateral lesions. Regardless of indication, 889 patients had subsequent imaging within 5 years (59.5%). The average size of all AMLs was 13.2 mm. In the group with lesions that were CONCLUSION No incidental subcentimetre hyperechoic renal lesion with imaging characteristics of an AML demonstrated significant growth or developed into a malignancy on follow-up.