Clinical and diagnostic observation of transitional cell carcinoma recurrence in the ureteral stump: a case report

Abstract

Urothelial cancer of the upper urinary tract is quite rare and accounts for 5–10% of all cases of urothelial cancer. Radiation research methods, primarily computer and magnetic resonance imaging, are leading in monitoring and detecting recurrence after surgery on the organs of the urinary system. A rare clinical case of recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract in the ureteral stump is presented. The article, with an emphasis on radiodiagnosis, outlines a step-by-step follow-up of a patient with primary cancer of the upper third of the ureter (рT2N0M0), who was hospitalized in the city clinical hospital for pain in the right lumbar region. During dynamic contrast enhancement multiparametric MRI, a recurrence of the disease was established with a lesion of the non-removed stump of the right ureter. Semiotic MR signs of recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract are described. The recurrent tumor of the ureteral stump was characterized by a moderate hyperintense T2WI MR signal and an isointense T1WI MR signal. Our data indicate lower ADC values in the tumor when measured by a large ROI (937 mm2, versus 796 mm2 ROI with a small size). The dynamic contrast enhancement performed in our study showed intensive accumulation of the contrast by the recurrent tumor.