Role of ultrasonography and urinary cytology in diagnosing recurrence of superficial urinary bladder cancer compared to cystoscopy.

Urinary cytology, ultrasonogram of the urinary bladder and cystoscopy were done in 99 cases of urinary bladder cancer patients in the department of urology of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Dhaka, during the period from January 1997 to December 1998. Pre transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT), urinary cytology was positive in 20.20% cases and ultrasound scan was positive in 96.9% cases. Histopathological examination revealed 95.96% as transitional cell carcinoma:- Grade I (3.0%), Grade II (62.6%) and Grade III (34.4%). During follow-up urinary cytology was positive in only one case whereas ultrasound scan was positive in 53.5% cases of whom only 21.6% patients had actual recurrent bladder tumours proved by cystoscopy. Statistical analysis of the three tests and histopathology showed significant variation though by Chi-square test the ultrasound scan is found superior to urinary cytology. We conclude when ultrasonography of the urinary bladder shows any suspected lesion it should be examined by cystoscope and biopsy should be taken from the suspected area for confirmation. Neither urinary cytology nor ultrasound scan can replace cystoscopic examination.

The Value of Cystoscopy and Intravenous Urography after Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Computed Tomography in the Staging of Cervical Carcinoma

The clinical staging system for cervical carcinoma presently recommended by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) does not include MRI or CT findings and thus suffers limited accuracy. Recently however, the positive contributions of MRI and CT to preoperative staging have been reported. This study involves a determination of the value of routine cystoscopy and intravenous urography, in the detection of bladder invasion or hydronephrosis resulting from cervical carcinoma, among patients who had undergone MRI or CT. Among a total 296 patients with cervical carcinoma, 271 patients (92%) had undergone MRI and 25 (8%) CT. Bladder invasion was identified pathologically by cystoscopic biopsy in 8 (57%) of the 14 patients with suspected bladder invasion on MRI or CT. There was no bladder invasion in any of the other cases lacking in bladder invasion evidence on MRI or CT. Hydronephrosis was identified by intravenous urography in 18 patients, as it also was in all of these cases on MRI or CT, confirming a negative predictive value for MRI or CT, in detecting bladder invasion or hydronephrosis from cervical carcinoma, of 100%. Therefore, although MRI or CT cannot totally replace cystoscopy, the latter is unnecessary in the absence of bladder invasion evidence on MRI or CT. Intravenous urography, however, can be safely omitted whenever MRI or CT is performed.