Objective: To test the frequency of malignancy in normal-appearing urothelium in patients with high-risk bladder cancer, as biopsy of normal-appearing mucosa using standard white-light cystoscopy (WLC) reportedly shows carcinoma in situ (CIS) in some patients with bladder tumours.
Patients and methods: Cold-cup biopsies of normal-appearing mucosa were obtained by two experienced oncological urologists from 63 patients during transurethral resection of bladder cancers. Each biopsy labelled as 'normal' was interpreted by two expert uropathologists.
Results: Each of the biopsies in all 63 patients was interpreted by both urological pathologists as showing normal or benign histology, except that one showed focal CIS.
Conclusions: Bladder urothelium appearing normal to expert urological oncologists using standard WLC rarely shows CIS when biopsies are evaluated by experienced uropathologists.
© 2010 THE AUTHORS. JOURNAL COMPILATION © 2010 BJU INTERNATIONAL.