Transurethral ultrasonographic assessment of bladder carcinoma: its value and limitation

Abstract

Purpose: We assess the value and limitation of transurethral ultrasonography in the diagnostic evaluation of bladder carcinoma.

Materials and methods: A total of 115 patients underwent the procedure, either at the same setting as transurethral resection (76) or 2 weeks before radical cystectomy (39). The results were compared with the pathological findings of transurethral and cystectomy specimens.

Results: The correlation between transurethral ultrasonography and pathological staging was 100% in tumors without muscle invasion (stages Ta and T1), 95.7% and 96.8% in muscle invasive tumors (stages T2 and T3a, respectively), and 70% in tumors with extravesical spread.

Conclusions: Transurethral ultrasonography is most valuable in determining the stage of tumor confined to the bladder wall. Also, it is of value in detecting tumors in a diverticulum, and monitoring the distensibility of the bladder wall and transurethral resection of disease. The main limitations are the inabilities to discriminate between stages Ta and T1 tumors, and to detect involvement of the pelvic lymph nodes.