Bladder transitional cell carcinoma: correlation of contrast enhancement on computed tomography with histological grade and tumour angiogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlation between the degree of contrast enhancement of bladder cancer in the early enhanced phase of helical computed tomography (CT) and microvessel density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and histological grade.


METHODS
Sixty-five patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were examined by incremental unenhanced CT and helical CT at 40-45 s after initiation of intravenous administration of contrast medium before surgery. The CT density in Hounsfield units of bladder carcinomas were measured in the middle of the maximum diameter section of the cancer lesions on unenhanced and enhanced CT. The degree of contrast enhancement of the tumour was determined as the absolute increase in Hounsfield units. Histological grade, VEGF and MVD were analysed for each cancer. The Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were used to determine the strength of the relationships between CT enhancement and histological grade, VEGF expression and MVD.


RESULTS
Different degrees of enhancement were observed in 91 cancers during the early enhanced phase of helical CT. Mean MVDs and mean CT enhancing values of different histological grade groups were statistically different (p < 0.001). A positive correlation was found in the CT-enhancing value of bladder cancer and MVD (Pearson correlation test; r = 0.938, p < 0.001) and histological grade (Spearman rank correlation; r = 0.734, p < 0.001). VEGF of bladder cancer did not correlate with the change in CT attenuation (Spearman rank correlation; r = 0.087, p = 0.410) and MVD (Spearman rank correlation, r = 0.103, p = 0.330).


CONCLUSIONS
In bladder cancer, the degree of contrast enhancement during the early enhanced helical CT is correlated with the MVD and histological grade of tumour. It is possible that MVD is the histopathological basis of early contrast enhancement of bladder cancer.
Xie
Q
Q
Department of Radiology, The First Municipal People's Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Zhang
J
J
Wu
P-H
PH
Jiang
X-Q
XQ
Chen
S-L
SL
Wang
Q-L
QL
Xu
J
J
Chen
G-D
GD
Deng
J-H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis
D003287:Contrast Media; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A