Korean J Urol.  2010 Oct;51(10):724-728.

Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: A Clinicopathological Study of 4 Cases and a Review of the Literature

• Stamatiou
• Galariotis N
• Michailidis I
• Petrakopoulou N
• Moustou H
• Zizi-Sermpetzoglou A

Abstract

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) of urinary bladder is a rare tumor exhibiting aggressive behavior. Here we are reviewing the pathologic and clinical characteristics of 4 consecutive cases of this rare tumor. Three out of 4 patients were males and one female. The median age was 72.8 years (range, 60-79 years). Patients underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor and the diagnosis of bladder SC was established on the pathologic examination of the resected bladder tissue. Despite treatment all patients died within 22 months of the diagnosis of SC. SC of the bladder are true biphasic malignant neoplasm exhibiting morphologic and immunohistochemical evidence of epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation with the presence or absence of heterologous elements. The aggressive of the tumor precludes radical therapy whenever possible, since adjuvant therapy seems to have little effect.

Keyword

Transitional cell carcinoma; Urinary bladder neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell
Female
Humans
Male
Urinary Bladder
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Figure

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  FIG. 1 (A) Transitional cell grade 3 carcinoma. Beneath that can be seen a spindle cell neoplasm with a sarcomatous appearance (H&E, ×100). (B) Immunoperoxidase stain with vimentin showing immunoreactivity in the spindle cell component (Vim, ×100).

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  FIG. 2 (A) A chondrosarcomatous area with atypical and pleomorphic chondrocytes (H&E, ×200). (B) Transitional cell grade 3 carcinoma: epithelial component admixed with chondromatous areas (H&E, ×100)

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  FIG. 3 (A) Spindle cell-like appearance of the sarcomatous component with numerous mitoses (H&E, ×200). (B) Immunoperoxidase stain with desmin showing immunoreactivity in some spindle cell components (Desm, ×200).

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  FIG. 4 (A) Sarcomatoid component of the tumor characterized by spindle cells with elongated and blunt nuclei (H&E, ×100). (B) Immunoperoxidase stain with cytokeratin showing immunoreactivity in the spindle cell component (Cyt, ×100).

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