Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder is not a rare complication of radiotherapy for cervical cancer: report of six cases

Abstract

Background: Spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of the urinary bladder is an extremely rare event. It has been reported to be a rare complication of radiation therapy for cervical cancer, but no studies have ever reported the incidence of this life-threatening complication.

Materials and methods: From August 1981 through December 1988, 143 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated with high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy combined with external beam therapy at Kobe City General Hospital.

Results: Of these patients, three (2.1%) suffered spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of the urinary bladder as a late complication of radiation therapy between August 1995 and February 1998. Three other patients, treated with radiation therapy for cervical cancer at other hospitals, were also admitted to our hospital with this complication between August 1995 and February 1998. All six patients underwent laparotomy and repair of the perforation. However, rerupture of the bladder occurred in three of these patients.

Conclusion: Spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of the urinary bladder after radiation therapy for cervical cancer is less rare than previously expected, and urologists must consider the possibility of occurrence of this life-threatening event following radiation therapy.