The diagnostic challenge of suspicious or positive malignant urine cytology findings when cystoscopy findings are normal: an outpatient blue-light flexible cystoscopy may solve the problem

PURPOSE: To investigate whether outpatient blue-light flexible cystoscopy could solve the diagnostic challenge of positive or suspicious urine cytology findings despite normal white-light flexible cystoscopy results and normal findings on computerized tomography urography, in patients investigated for urothelial cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a multicentre study, a total of 70 examinations were performed with the use of blue-light flexible cystoscopy (photodynamic diagnosis) after intravesical instillation of the fluorescence agent hexaminolevulinate. The examination started with a conventional white-light flexible cystoscopy and then the settings were switched to use blue light. Suspicious lesions were biopsied. Afterwards, the patients were interviewed regarding their experience of the examinations.

RESULTS: Bladder cancer was diagnosed in 29 out of 70 (41%) cases, among them 14/29 (48%) had malignant lesions seen only in blue light. The majority had carcinoma in situ (21/29). Normal findings were seen in 41 cases that underwent BLFC. During the further course, malignancy of the bladder was detected in six cases (9%) and malignancy of the upper urinary tract was detected in one case (1%). The majority of patients (93%) preferred the blue-light flexible cystoscopy performed at the outpatient clinic instead of the transurethral resection under general anaesthesia.

CONCLUSION: Blue-light flexible cystoscopy at the outpatient clinic may be a useful tool to solve unclear cases of a malignant or suspicious urinary cytology suggestive of bladder cancer. The procedure was well tolerated by the patients.