Renal Cell Carcinoma (2)

Renal cell carcinoma – transverse and coronal CT. This patient presented with a huge (12 cm) left upper quadrant mass (arrows, left-hand image). Occasionally it can be difficult for us to determine whether a large mass is arising from a particular organ or compressing/invading it. One of the helpful imaging signs we can use is called the ‘claw sign’, where a small claw-like amount of parenchyma from the organ extends around the tumour, as indicated by the yellow arrows on the coronal CT. This allowed us to correctly predict that the tumour was arising from the left kidney. Ultrasound giopsy confirmed renal cell carcinoma.