Bladder carcinoma metastases presenting as intraperitoneal dissemination without local recurrence: A case report

A 76-year-old woman presented with gross hematuria and was referred to our OPD. Cystoscopy showed broad-based papillary tumors on the left bladder wall. TUR-BT was performed and pathological diagnosis was grade 3 transitional cell carcinoma of pT1a. Although no intravesical tumor recurrence had been observed, a solid palpable mass was noted in the lower abdomen nine months after TUR-BT, and computed tomography suggested a large ovarian tumor. Subsequently performed was the operation at Gynecology, which revealed a large tumor involving the whole major omentum. Frozen sections of the tumor were diagnosed as transitional cell carcinoma metastases of the bladder cancer, and the final pathological report was the same. Although receiving 4 courses of M-VAC systemic chemotherapy after the operation, she died 14 months later. Autopsy disclosed intraperitoneal cancer dissemination and metastases without any intravesical nor left perivesical tumor recurrence, and it was suggested that the bladder tumor metastases occurred not by direct invasion but by either lymphatic or vascular mechanism in this case.