Xanthogranulomatous urethritis and cystitis: a rare clinical and pathological entity

• Main Authors: Lewkowicz Dorota, Wronecki Lech, Pasnik Iwona, Bialek Waldemar, Walczyna Beata, Fronczek Agnieszka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2015-09-01
• Series: Current Issues in Pharmacy and Medical Sciences
• Subjects: xanthogranulomatous cystitis; xanthogranulomatous urethritis
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/cipms-2015-0061

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation of the urethra and the urinary bladder is a very rare pathological condition characterized by a chronic inflammatory infiltration composed mainly of foamy macrophages, with the presence of multinucleated giant cells. In a clinical examination, it can mimic urinary bladder carcinoma. This report presents the extremely rare case of a co-existing xanthogranulomatous urethritis and cystitis in a 64-year-old woman with recurrent dysuria, and with the suspicion of malignancy - as indicated on the basis of a cystoscopic examination. The standard treatment of this disorder is surgical resection, but in the presented case, only a diagnostic biopsy was performed. Because of the persistence of clinical symptoms, a cystoscopic examination and biopsy was repeated three times in a two year period. There was no malignancy seen in the repeated biopsies.