Review of different WHO pathologic classifications of bladder urothelial carcinoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

ABSTRACT

WHO has issued three editions of pathologic classification of bladder urothelial carcinoma in 1973,1999 and 2004.The 1973 version classification had been widely and the longest applied.However,WHO 2004 classification had been prevalent in past years.There were two issues in the applications of WHO 2004 classification.On one hand,there were some difficulties in quick grading in a given case.On the other hand,there were some misunderstandings in the conversion of different WHO classification.In this article,the changes of different pathologic classification of bladder urothelial carcinoma were reviewed and the outline of different pathologic classification was generalized.The criterion of all the systems was cell anaplasia.In WHO 1973 version classification,the definition of the various grades was vague.It was relatively precise in WHO 1999 classification.However,the grading of Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ in WHO 1999 classification still remained confusions.The major changes in WHO 2004 classification was that this system divided urothelial carcinoma into low-and high-grade,which may solve the heterogenesis of grade Ⅱ in the other two classifications.