MICROPAPILLARY UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA OF THE BLADDER: EVOLUTION OF 6 PATIENTS WITHOUT CYSTECTOMY

Micropapillary carcinoma is an uncommon variant of urothelial carcinoma. It's a recently described entity which and has its own distinctive morphologic appearance and evolution. Here we report six male patients with micropapillary urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder in patients of age 72 (average), who presented hematuria. They rejected radical cystectomy and were treated with BCG, radio-or chemotherapy. Five of the tumors showed a high grade transitional cell component and all of them invaded muscle. Two of the patients died in 6 and 9 months after the diagnosis was done. Three patients presented multiple relapses and the remaining is healthy after two years in follow-up. Micropapillary urothelial carcinoma has a highly agressive behavior; regardless of stage, the size of the lesion may be an important prognostic factor.