[Lymphadenectomy in the operative treatment of renal pelvic and ureteral carcinoma].

We evaluated 18 patients with renal pelvic and ureteral carcinoma focusing on the operative treatment. All the patients underwent nephroureterectomy and partial cystectomy, except for two patients, with CIS of the ureter and renal insufficiency, and one with invasive bladder carcinoma, in whom partial ureterectomy and total cystectomy were performed, respectively. Lymphadenectomy were performed in all the patients and resected lymph nodes were from renal hilus, para-aorta or vena cava, according to the affected side, intra aorto-caval and all the pelvic nodes in the affected side. Lymph node metastases were found in 4 patients (22%), 2 in the primary and distant nodes and the other in the regional nodes only. Skipped lesion of the lymph node metastasis was not rare and lymph node dissection from the renal hilus to the pelvis on the affected side should be included in the operative treatment of renal and ureteral carcinoma.