Flow cytometric analysis of primary adenocarcinoma of the bladder

The flow cytometric findings of bladder irrigation specimens from 4 patients with histologically confirmed primary adenocarcinoma of the bladder are reported. Cells in specimens from 3 patients showed deoxyribonucleic acid aneuploidy and a simultaneous preoperative urinary cytology study was positive. One patient had normal flow cytometry studies, whereas preoperative cytology results were suspicious. These findings indicate that at least some, perhaps most, primary adenocarcinomas of the bladder have abnormalities of deoxyribonucleic acid content. Flow cytometry should be of value in detecting and monitoring these cases, as it is for epidermoid (urothelial) carcinomas.