Intravenous urography: important adjunct for diagnosis of bladder tumours

The intravenous urogram (IVU) has long been considered important for the evaluation of haematuria. A retrospective review of 64 patients with haematuria and subsequent histologically proven carcinoma of the bladder revealed that bladder tumours could be diagnosed pre-operatively in 34 of 46 (76%) of patients with gross haematuria and 12 of of 18 (67%) of those with microhaematuria. Fifteen of 20 IVUs available for review disclosed filling defects on the post-void view in 15/15 (100%), the anteroposterior view in 13/15 (87%), and the oblique view in 7/14 (50%). The IVU, especially the post-void view, permits pre-operative detection of bladder tumours in a majority of patients and can alert the clinician to the need for urgent cystoscopy.