[Clinical study of bladder tamponade resulting from clots of blood]

There were many case reports about bladder tamponade resulting from clots of blood. However, there were few reports about the clinical study that result from collecting cases of bladder tamponade. Thus, we performed a retrospective study about bladder tamponade resulting from clots of blood that we had managed.

We investigated 20 patients who had bladder tamponade and were consulted at our facility between October 2002 and September 2005. We researched causes of the bleeding, characteristics of the patients, the laboratory data of coagulation system and treatments of our experience in managing patients. There were 17 males and 3 females. The average age of the patients was 74.0 years old.

8 cases took anticoagulant drugs, 6 cases had medical history of cerebral infarction or cardiac infarction, 4 cases took anticholinergic drugs and 9 cases had benign prostate hypertrophy or urethral stricture. Bleeding was due to bladder tumor in 9, prostate cancer in 1, radiation cystitis in 3, chronic cystitis in 1, malignant lymphoma in 1, idiopathic causes in 3 and unknown causes in 2 cases. Except 1 case, in all cases, evacuation of the clots was the first procedure followed by saline irrigation. This initial line of treatment was able to control the hemorrhage in 40% of the patients. For the remaining cases, transurethral coagulation and resection of bladder tumor were used as the second line treatment, and furthermore, radical cystectomy was performed in 1 case. Surgical treatments were required in 12 cases. Blood transfusion was required in 4 cases.

According to progress aging society, the amounts of taken anticoagulant drugs and the patients who had lower urinary tract dysfunction may increase. It may be suggested that the cases of bladder tamponade resulting from clots of blood without bladder tumor or radiation cystitis tend to increase.