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  • Case Study
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Evaluation and management of a patient with a bladder mass of uncertain etiology

Abstract

Background A healthy, parous, nonsmoking, 36-year-old woman consulted her gynecologist for nonspecific bladder pain. Urinary tract infection was ruled out. Vaginal ultrasonography and MRI revealed an undefined tumor between the bladder and the uterus. The patient refused further testing until tumor growth was detected at a scheduled appointment 5 months after presentation. She was referred to a urology department at this time.

Investigations Physical examination, urine culture, medical history, cystoscopy, MRI, angiography, intraoperative frozen section analysis, and final histology.

Diagnosis Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the bladder.

Management Partial cystectomy with complete excision of the tumor from the trigonal and posterior wall of the bladder by median laparotomy.

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Figure 1: Images from cystoscopy.
Figure 2: Images from sagittal MRI.
Figure 3: Images of the patient's inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.

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Acknowledgements

Charles P Vega, University of California, Irvine, CA, is the author of and is solely responsible for the content of the learning objectives, questions and answers of the Medscape-accredited continuing medical education activity associated with this article.

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Correspondence to Jens Bedke.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Bedke, J., Buse, S., Esposito, I. et al. Evaluation and management of a patient with a bladder mass of uncertain etiology. Nat Rev Urol 5, 509–514 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro1172

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