Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder in pediatric patients: a long-term follow-up

Objectives To report our experience and long-term follow-up data on pediatric patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the urinary bladder. Methods In this retrospective study, perioperative and long-term follow-up data of nine pediatric patients with neoplasms of urothelial origin within the urinary bladder between 1980 and 2014 were analyzed. Cystoscopy was performed under general anesthesia, and transurethral resection of the bladder tumors was carried out in the same session. Adult follow-up protocols were used for all patients. Results Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder was histologically verified in five male (66 %) and three female (33 %) patients. In one patient, papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential was detected. Median patient age at the time of diagnosis was 12 years (4–18 years). Mean tumor size was 2.2 cm (1.5–4 cm). After a median follow-up of 60 months (10–121 months), no recurrence was observed among our patients. Conclusion Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder in pediatric patients is a rare condition. Due to lack of substantial data, it is difficult to establish tailored management strategies. Most patients present with low-grade, low-stage disease. Being the most common symptom, macroscopic hematuria should be clarified with cystoscopy in pediatric age group.