title: Bladder leiomyoma: Presentation, evaluation and treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bladder leiomyomas are benign mesenchymal neoplasms and very rare urinary tumours that represent <0.5% of all bladder tumours, with only 250 cases reported worldwide to date. The importance of recognising their characteristic features, leading to their correct treatment, is fundamental. Therefore, we reviewed reports of leiomyomas of the urinary bladder, their causes, clinical presentations, imaging methods and surgical management, updated to 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed articles published in the USA, Europe and Asia, from 1953 to date, using PubMed, Medscape, Medline and the several major journals. We report areas of controversies and well-established guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We reviewed 36 articles that confirmed, with a high level of evidence-based medicine, that the male to female ratio is equal, the cause of bladder leiomyomas remains unknown, and their most common presentation is obstructive uropathy; endovesical tumours are the most common. Their radiological diagnosis can be made by ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Complete surgical resection is a very effective treatment, associated with almost no recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In symptomatic patients a complete surgical resection can give a very good outcome, with almost no recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Division of Urology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Nazih
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khater
authors.affiliation: Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Division of Urology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ghazi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sakr
keywords: Benign tumour; Bladder; Diagnosis; Leiomyoma; TURBT, transurethral resection of the bladder tumour; US, ultrasonography