Mimics and Pitfalls in Renal Imaging.

There are several potential pitfalls that radiologists face when interpreting images of the kidneys. Some result from image acquisition and can arise from the imaging equipment or imaging technique, whereas others are patient related. Another category of pitfalls relates to image interpretation. Some difficulties stem from methods to detect enhancement after contrast administration, whereas others are benign entities that can mimic a renal tumor. Finally, interpretation and diagnosis of fat-containing renal masses may be tricky due to the complexities discerning the pattern of fat within a mass and how that translates to an accurate diagnosis.