title: Feasibility and effectiveness of image-guided percutaneous biopsy of the urinary bladder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the indications, technique, results, and complications of image-guided percutaneous biopsy of the urinary bladder.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 15 patients (10 male, 5 female) who underwent image-guided percutaneous biopsy of the urinary bladder between January 1999 and December 2013. The medical records, imaging studies, procedural details, and long-term follow-up of each patient were reviewed in detail to assess the feasibility of percutaneous bladder biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients had focal bladder masses and 5 patients had asymmetric or diffuse bladder wall thickening. Eleven patients had either negative or unsatisfactory cystoscopies prior to the biopsy. Percutaneous biopsies were performed under computed tomography guidance in 12 patients and ultrasound in 3 patients. All procedures were technically successful and there were no procedural complications. Malignancy was confirmed in 8 patients, among whom 6 had transitional cell carcinoma, 1 cervical cancer, and 1 prostate cancer metastasis. Seven patients had a benign diagnosis, including 3 that were later confirmed by pathology following surgery and 2 patients with a false-negative result. The overall sensitivity was 80% and accuracy was 87%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Image-guided percutaneous biopsy of the urinary bladder is a safe and technically feasible procedure with a high sensitivity and accuracy rate. Although image-guided bladder biopsy is an uncommon procedure, it should be considered in selected cases when more traditional methods of tissue sampling are either not possible or fail to identify abnormalities detected by cross-sectional imaging.
authors: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, White 270, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA, sbutros@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors: Selim Reha
authors: SR
authors: Butros
authors: Colin James
authors: CJ
authors: McCarthy
authors: Ali Devrim
authors: AD
authors: Karaosmanoğlu
authors: Anuradha S
authors: AS
authors: Shenoy-Bhangle
authors: Ronald S
authors: RS
authors: Arellano
mesh_terms: D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000473:pathology*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary