Post-Operative Changes Mimicking the Radiographic Appearance of Recurrent Renal Cell Carcinoma

Partial nephrectomy for small renal tumors is associated with excellent long-term outcomes. In the absence of positive surgical margins, local recurrence is uncommon. Although computed tomography is associated with good diagnostic accuracy, the radiographic evaluation of some renal lesions remains difficult. This difficulty can be greater in the period following surgery, when post-operative tissue changes can result in abnormal radiographic findings. We report a case of benign post-operative changes mimicking the radiographic appearance of recurrent renal cell carcinoma.