Evolving horizons in renal angiomyolipoma: two decades of management strategies and clinical perspectives in a single institutional study

Abstract

Objective To assess various management options for renal angiomyolipoma (AML) to guide clinical practice. Methods A single center retrospectively reviewed an AML series from 2002 to 2022. The image reports and chart reviews of patients who received two abdominal scans at least 6 months between the first and last scans were assessed. Results A total of 203 patients with 209 tumors were identified and followed up for a median of 42.6 months. Active surveillance (AS) was the most frequently selected option (70.9% of cases). Interventions were required for 59 AMLs, of which 20 were treated with embolization, 29 with partial nephrectomy, 9 with radical nephrectomy, and 1 with radiofrequency (RF) ablation. The median size of the lesions at intervention was 5 cm. The average growth rate of the lesions was 0.12 cm/year, and there was a significant difference in the average growth rate of lesions ≤4 cm and those >4 cm (0.11 vs. 0.24 cm/year; p = 0.0046). Conclusion This series on AMLs confirms that lesions >4 cm do not require early intervention based on size alone. Appropriately selected cases of renal AML can be managed by AS. KEYWORDS: Angiomyolipoma; active surveillance; embolization; nephrectomy; nephron-sparing surgery