Evaluation of bladder washings cytology in diagnosis of neoplasms of urinary bladder

Abstract

Urinary cytology functions as the primary screening and surveillance modality for the detection of urothelial neoplasia. To determine the significance of urinary bladder wash cytology in predicting various grades of urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder along with their histological confirmation. The prospective study was conducted in Department of Pathology, PGIMS, Rohtak. A total of thirty-one urinary bladder washing samples (processed by Conventional method, Cytospin and Liquid based cytology) were taken prior to biopsy from clinically suspected patients of urinary bladder neoplasm. The cytological examination of bladder washings was reported according to The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology and Bladder biopsies were reported according to WHO/ISUP grading of Urothelial Tumors 2004. All the data were statistically analysed using SPSS version 20.0 software. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy among three techniques of processing bladder washings. Correlations of cytological diagnosis on bladder wash specimens with histopathological diagnosis were statistically significant and shared good agreement. A negative bladder wash cytology coupled with a negative cystoscopy is quite specific. A diagnosis of positive or suspicious bladder wash should be thoroughly investigated and followed closely. The Paris System is easy, reproducible, consistent ad has good histopathological correlation.