[Lymphography as an investigation method for bladder cancer in adults]

The use of lymphography as an investigational method in bladder cancer is a controversial subject. Results of a personal series of 90 cases, including 50 that were histologically confirmed, are compared with those reported in the published literature. Results were fairly different from those previously described, as though there was a lower sensitivity (43 as against 85 p. cent in the literature), specificity was much higher (100 as against 94 p. cent) as well as positive predictive value (100 as against 69 p. cent). This improvement was mainly due to the use of Piver and Wallace's assessment criteria, and results should be improved still further in the future by more frequent use of needle puncture cytology. Even with the increasing employ of the scanner, lymphography still remains a precise method for investigating bladder cancer.