Cystosonography as an aid in diagnosis of urinary bladder neoplasms in enzootic bovine haematuria

Abstract

To ascertain the status of urinary bladder tumors (UBTs) in clinical cases of Enzootic Bovine Haematuria (EBH), the cystosonographic examination was evaluated as an aid in diagnosis. The urinary bladder of EBH affected animals showed thick bladder wall along with presence of some space occupying lesions suggestive of tumors. It also showed anechoic images indicating distended urinary bladder. The ecogenicity of urine content was not homogenous in some cases revealing swirling material. These findings were correlated with urinalysis which revealed that EBH affected animals were either microhaematuric or macrohaematuric. On necropsy, multiple hanging cauliflower-like growths or nodular thickenings in urinary bladders in EBH affected animals were observed. Histopathologically, majority of UBTs were diagnosed as transitional cell carcinoma-papillary type. Post-sonographic urinalysis, necropsy and histopathological diagnosis of these cases confirmed sonographic findings. This technique was found simple, accurate and reliable and can be applied in diagnosis and prognosis of UBTs in EBH cases.