Indications for ureteropyeloscopy based on radiographic findings and urine cytology in detection of upper urinary tract carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To verify the indication of diagnostic ureteropyeloscopy based on clinical features for upper urinary tract urothelial cancer with over 100 patients and over a 10-year series.


METHODS
From January 1997 to December 2008, consecutive 129 units in 124 patients underwent ureteropyeloscopy to obtain a definitive diagnosis of upper urinary tract cancer or to rule out a malignancy. Patients were divided into four subgroups based on voided urine cytology and preoperative radiographic findings: group A (n = 8), positive urine cytology and positive radiographic findings; group B (n = 4), positive cytology and negative radiographic findings; group C (n = 55), negative cytology and positive radiographic findings and group D (n = 62), gross hematuria originating from the upper urinary tract with negative cytology and negative radiographic findings. Ureteropyeloscopic findings were compared with radiographic and cytological results. Adverse effects were also investigated.


RESULTS
In group A, all patients had confirmed cancer. In group B, one revealed small cancer and the remaining three confirmed carcinoma in situ by biopsy with ureteropyeloscopy. In groups C and D, 33 patients (60%) and four (6.5%) revealed cancer. Seventy-eight patients out of 80 (97.5%) in groups C and D were confirmed to have benign disease. No patient was found with malignancy during follow up after negative finding of ureteropyeloscopy.


CONCLUSIONS
Ureteropyeloscopy can help in detecting upper urinary tract cancer or to rule out malignancy for patients with negative voiding cytology. However, ureteropyeloscopy is redundant for patients with positive radiographic findings and positive voiding cytology.
Takao
Akira
A
Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
Saika
Takashi
T
Uehara
Shinya
S
Monden
Koichi
K
Abarzua
Fernando
F
Nasu
Yasutomo
Y
Kumon
Hiromi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D018666:Ureteroscopy; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology*; D014567:Urography; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult