[Significance of AgNOR analysis of urothelial carcinomas]

Biopsies of normal and atypical/dysplastic epithelium of the urinary bladder as well as transitional cell carcinomas grades I to III were stained with a silver nitrate solution, and the silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions were evaluated. The AgNOR-analysis shows highly significant differences in the G II subgroups, similar to the results of nucleolar subgrading. Because of the significantly differing 5-year survival rates, it can be justified to divide transitional cell carcinomas into two groups: a low-risk group with favorable prognosis (G Ia to G IIa), and a high-risk group with poor prognosis (G IIb to G IIIa,b).