title: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the bladder: an atypical etiology of gross hematuria.
abstract: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a rare hematologic disorder with affected patients having complications of frequent infections and possible transformation to a more aggressive malignancy. The occurrence of CLL in the bladder is a rare event, with few reported cases. As a result, its aggressiveness and the optimal course for treatment are unknown. Despite this, its presence in the bladder warrants continued surveillance, as recurrence and progression to other bladder malignancies are possible. We present a 71-year-old woman initially diagnosed with CLL who was plagued by recurrent hematuria and dysuria for over a decade, which lead to multiple negative urologic workups. However, these continued workups eventually lead to her diagnosis of bladder CLL with a subsequent finding of carcinoma in situ that was prompted by a suspicious surveillance cystoscopy performed 4 months after her initial bladder diagnosis. Hence, infiltration of CLL in the urinary bladder merits close follow up, including additional urologic procedures.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, 984110 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4110, USA.
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Sudhir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isharwal
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Aydin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pooli
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Subodh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lele
authors.affiliation: Omaha-VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feloney
keywords: bladder cancer; carcinoma in situ; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; gross hematuria; recurrent urinary tract infections