Patients with spina bifida and bladder cancer. Our experience

Abstract

Results We found four patients with a mean age of 32.75 years old, one man and three women. Any patient had undergone bladder augmentation. Three patients used as mode of bladder management intermittent catheterization or permanent urethral catheter, and the male had used collector and had been diagnosed of repetitive bladder calculi. Abdominal pain was the first presenting symptom in two patients, hematuria in another one and the last one was diagnosed because of an ureteral obstruction. All of them had previous history of recurrent urinary tract infections. 75% patients had locally advanced stage (T3 or greater) or lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis. Two patients had died at the time of the study. Conclusions Bladder cancer should be considered on in this patient population, even in young adult women. Therefore a complete screening would be beneficial for earlier detection and improved outcomes in every spina bifida patient with hematuria or chronic infection.