Abstract
Kidney tumours possessing that specialized property
of autonomy which may prove not only destructive
to the kidney but malign to the body as a whole,
are rare tumours - so rare indeed that one wonders if
a doctor can remain efficient in the diagnosis of the
disease in the early stages under such conditions.
Cellular pathology has opened up a wide field for investigation
of the nature of the tumour formation but
so far the essential etiological factor has not been
discovered. Many authorities have suggested different
determining factors in different classes of tumours.
Certain of the tumours found In the kidney are of ex-
tremely rare occurrence and others, such as fibroma,
are from the clinical standpoint of no significance.
Those of vital interest are the malignant tumours. The
comparison of histories and pathological findings may
be helpful in establishing those features which enable
their presence to be identified clinically. The burn -
ing question, clinically, is that of the surgeon - is
the tumour diagnosed in time? Both doctor and surgeon
should remember Trousseau's dictum, "Il n'y a pas de
maladies; il n'y a que des malades".
