Specific red cell adherence testing of benign and malignant lesions of the urethra

We herein report the first application of the specific red cell adherence test in patients with benign and malignant lesions of the urethra. In an attempt to determine whether the specific red cell adherence test could have potential use in predicting malignant behavior of urethral carcinoma we applied this test on specimens from 17 patients with a urethral caruncle, 3 with chronic urethritis and 4 with primary urethral carcinoma. Of the 20 benign lesions 18 (90 per cent) were positive for adherence, while the 4 urethral carcinoma specimens were negative. The high positive rate obtained in specimens of benign urethral lesions, together with the uniformly negative tests in those of urethral carcinoma, indicate the possible use of the specific red cell adherence test in early detection of aggressive behavior of urethral carcinoma, as well as predictiveness in bladder cancer.