Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the urinary bladder--diagnostic and clinical implications

A 57-year-old man presented with a 4-week history of intermittent, painless frank hematuria. There were no other symptoms. He had no previous urologic history, is a nonsmoker, and works as a manual laborer.

Physical examination, ultrasound of the urinary tract, and intravenous urography were all unremarkable. Urine microscopy confirmed more than 5 red blood cells per high-power field, but no malignant cells were seen on cytologic assessment. Flexible cystoscopy revealed a 3 cm, partially solid, solitary lesion on the right lateral wall of the bladder. The tumor was completely resected under general anesthesia.

Histologically, the tumor was described as a G3 pT1 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Following the resection of a solitary recurrence 6 weeks after the initial tumor resection, the patient underwent a standard course of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy. Despite this, another tumor was identified 3 months later. Histologically, this tumor was described as a lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, of at least grade G3pT1. The patient underwent radical cystoprostatectomy with ileal conduit formation; no adjuvant systemic chemotherapy was given in light of complete tumor resection. The patient is under continuing, close clinical and radiologic observation and remains free of disease recurrence, 36 months postoperatively.