[Cytologic diagnosis of cancer of the urinary bladder, reliability, pitfalls and grading (author's transl)]

The cytologic analysis of bladder washings was positive in 59 (67%) of 88 patients with carcinoma of the bladder. About 50% of the false negative cytologic reports were shown to be misinterpretations. The cytologic report was positive in six of 29 cases, in which non-neoplastic lesions, were established by histology. In two cases the positive cytologic report was confirmed by repeat biopsies. In two further cases no neoplasm was histologically verified by repeat biopsy, but the positive cytologic findings were supported by positive results obtained by impulscyto-photometric studies of the nuclear DNA-content in cells of the bladder washings. Two positive cytologic reports were definitely considered as true false positive. Cytologic malignancy grading was attempted without knowledge of the original cytologic and histologic diagnoses. Cytologic and histologic grading were congruent in 68% of cases with positive cytologic report, in 16% of these cases, however, the cytologic grading revealed a higher grade of malignancy. Retrospectively in 27% of the patients examined the cytologic report proved to be clinical value concerning the follow-up as well as the histologic re-examination or the therapy.