Cystitis glandularis mimicking a bladder tumor: A rare case report

Abstract

Cystitis glandularis is a rare benign condition, occurring in only 1% of the general population, and it tends to affect males more frequently. This pathology is characterized by reactive metaplasia of the bladder's urothelium, which results from chronic and recurrent irritation of the bladder wall. Symptoms are nonspecific and primarily marked by an irritative urinary syndrome accompanied by hematuria. We present a case of a young male patient with cystitis glandularis, discovered as a result of bilateral uretero-hydronephrosis detected during an ultrasound examination subsequent to an irritative urinary syndrome. The diagnosis was initially suggested by a CT scan; it was ultimately histologically confirmed following the endoscopic resection of the tumor.

Keywords: Cystitis glandularis; Imaging; Pseudotumoral.

Fig. 1

Ultrasound in axial view: vascularized posterior bladder wall thickening on color Doppler which infiltrates the ureteral meatus (A) with bilateral upstream uretehydronephrosis (B, arrow).

Fig. 2

Computed tomography (CT) images showing posterior bladder wall thickening infiltrating the ureteral orifices (A, B) (arrow) with upstream ureterohydronephrosis and delayed secretion and renal excretion (C, arrow).

Fig. 3

Von Brunn urothelial nests presenting glandular aspects, with cuboidal or cylindrical cells lacking atypia or mitosis, without sign of invasion.