Urachal tumour: case report of a poorly understood carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Urachal carcinoma is an uncommon neoplasm associated with poor prognosis.


METHODS
A 45-year-old man was admitted with complaints of abdominal pain and pollakisuria. A soft mass was palpable under his navel. TC-scan revealed a 11 x 6 cm tumor, which was composed of a cystic lesion arising from the urachus and a solid mass component at the urinary bladder dome. The tumor was removed surgically. Histological examination detected poor-differentiated adenocarcinoma, which had invaded the urinary bladder. The patient has been followed up without recurrence for 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The urachus is the embryological remnant of urogenital sinus and allantois. Involution usually happens before birth and urachus is present as a median umbilical ligament. The pathogenesis of urachal tumours is not fully understood. Surgery is the treatment of choice and role of adjuvant treatment is not clearly understood.
Scabini
Stefano
S
Department of Emato-Oncology, AOU San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy. stefanoscabini@libero.it
Rimini
Edoardo
E
Romairone
Emanuele
E
Scordamaglia
Renato
R
Vallarino
Luigi
L
Giasotto
Veronica
V
Ferro
Carlo
C
Ferrando
Valter
V
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003558:Cystoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014497:Urachus / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds