A urinary bladder tumor in a 65-year-old man

Paraganglioma (pheochromocytoma) of the urinary bladder: A systematic review with a diagnostic, management and treatment algorithm

Introduction:

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder is a rare but well-documented tumour. Herein, we provide the largest, comprehensive systematic review of the literature and aim to increase familiarity with this rare but significant neoplasm.

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature was conducted on the NCBI PubMed database. The search criteria were not limited to any specific years or languages. There were 418 articles between January 1953 and August 2020, of which 255 case reports were selected.

Results:

Paragangliomas of the urinary bladder most commonly occurred in Caucasians in the fifth decade of life, most commonly presenting with haematuria and variations of ‘micturition attacks’. Eighty percent of tumours were functionally active. The mucosa was normal in 91% of patients. In all, 25% of tumours were treated with transurethral resection alone, 65% had partial cystectomy and 5% had radical cystectomy. Alpha-blockers were administered pre-operatively in 38% of patients and the risk of intra-operative hypertensive crisis was over three times greater in those who did not receive an alpha-blocker. The tumour was confined to the bladder in 75% of cases. Metastasis occurred in 20% of cases, most commonly to iliac nodes. The mean follow-up time was 26.5 months. In cases that documented follow-up, 18.6% had recurrence, most commonly in lymph nodes and bone.

Conclusion:

All patients presenting with micturition attacks or haematuria with a computed tomography showing an enhancing, well-defined submucosal bladder lesion and/or cystoscopy showing a lesion with normal overlying mucosa should be worked up for a possible paraganglioma of the urinary bladder.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable

Giant mitochondria with paracrystalline inclusions in paraganglioma of the urinary bladder: correlation with mitochondrial abnormalities in paragangliomas of other sites

Mitochondrial abnormalities have received relatively little attention in the ultrastructural evaluation of paragangliomas. Review of the few literature references dealing with this issue, however, reveals that quantitative and qualitative changes of these organelles occur in that context. A bladder paraganglioma is described that was characterized by numerous mitochondria, which in addition displayed giant forms along with matrical paracrystalline inclusions. Upon retrospective review of 12 archival cases of paragangliomas, enlarged and structurally abnormal mitochondria were found in all of them. Although various speculations can be made, the mechanism of formation and the pathophysiologic significance of these abnormal mitochondria remain unknown. From a morphologic diagnostic point of view, however, these abnormalities, which in this case of bladder paraganglioma were also light microscopically evident, can be of significant help in establishing the correct diagnosis.

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder: an immunohistochemical study and report of an unusual association with intestinal carcinoid

Two cases of paraganglioma of the urinary bladder are reported. Their immunohistochemical profiles and the clinical features are compared with other cases in the literature. The three pan-endocrine markers (neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin and chromogrannin) were positive in both cases. Positivity to other neuropeptides (including the present two cases and those in literature) includes adrenocorticotropic hormone (three out of five cases), calcitonin (two out of nine cases), gastrin (two out of six cases), glial fibrillary acidic protein (one out of five cases), glucagon (two out of six cases), serotonin (five out of nine cases), and somatostatin (four out of eight cases). A previously unmentioned association between paraganglioma of the urinary bladder and carcinoid in the gastrointestinal tract is noted in one of the present cases. This peculiar association highlights the importance of multiplicity of tumours of the neuroendocrine system other than the classical multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes.

Pheochromocytoma of urinary bladder: contemporary methods of diagnosis and treatment options

Two patients with vesical pheochromocytoma are presented with a review of the literature. Imaging modalities for localizing extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas are reviewed with an overview of the commonly accepted treatment options. Successful treatment of this lesion requires a high index of suspicion based upon the patient's symptom complex, allowing preoperative preparation prior to surgical manipulation.

Selected ultrastructural aspects of urothelial and prostatic tumors

Ultrastructural techniques have been widely applied in the study of urothelial and prostatic tumors. In the common proliferative diseases affecting the lower urogenital tract, electron microscopy has provided us with a greater understanding of the pathobiology and morphology of these disease processes. Specific diagnostic application, however, has been limited. In the unusual tumors affecting urothelium and prostate such as neuroendocrine carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, and sarcomas, electron microscopy has provided some practical diagnostic information of value in patient management. This paper provides a survey of the fundamental and practical contributions of ultrastructural studies in the prostatic and urothelial areas.