Melanosis of bladder: A rare entity

Melanosis of the bladder, also known as melanosis vesicae, refers to presence of pigment in bladder mucosa. A rare phenomenon, however, it can be confused with the primary or metastatic melanoma of the bladder. Therefore, knowledge of the entity can prevent over diagnosis of this benign entity. We are reporting a case of melanosis of bladder in a 69 year old male with prolonged history of LUTS and bladder diverticulae. Cystoscopic examination showed black patches and biopsy revealed pigmentation in the epithelium and underlying lamina propria. Special stains identified the pigment to be melanin. No malignant cells were identified.