Bladder wall calcification after intravesical chemotherapy with mitomycin C--a case report

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Bladder wall calcification is a rare condition with limited known causes.
• Intravesical chemotherapy, specifically mitomycin C, is an uncommon etiology.
• Transitional cell carcinoma recurrence can present with calcification.

Observation:

• A patient developed bladder wall calcification three years post-mitomycin C treatment.
• Calcification was incidentally discovered during surgery for recurrent bladder tumor.
• Repeat cystoscopy revealed extensive calcified deposits, particularly at prior resection sites.

Findings:

• Pathology confirmed recurrent transitional cell carcinoma with significant calcification.
• Subsequent biopsies showed dystrophic calcification, not active malignancy.
• The calcification persisted three months after initial observation.

Implications:

• Dystrophic calcification in the bladder wall requires careful evaluation.
• Distinguishing calcification from malignancy is crucial for patient management.
• Biopsy and/or surgical resection are suggested to exclude invasive bladder cancer.