Surface characteristics of malignant human urinary bladder epithelium studied with scanning electron microscopy

Biopsies were obtained from 28 male and seven female patients with cystoscopically and histologically confirmed urinary bladder carcionoma. Tissue specimens for light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were obtained from the tumours as well as from cystoscopically tumour-free mucosa of the dome, the lateral walls and the trigone of the urinary bladder and also from the proximal urethra. Certain surface structural changes, which seem to represent malignancy, present in different regions of the urinary bladder were detected by SEM, although not visible by light microscopy.