Ultraviolet Light Cystoscopy in Patients with Bladder Cancer: One Year's Experience

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Abstract
Ultraviolet light cystoscopy following administration of tetracycline was done in 46 patients. Forty-three of them had, or had been treated for carcinoma of the bladder and three had symptoms suggestive of bladder cancer. Visible light cystoscopy showed tumour in 21 of the patients. Fluorescence was demonstrated in five cases of this group, all with tumour cells in the urinary sediment. In 12 cases of proven bladder carcinoma there was no fluorescence. No malignant lesions were revealed by visible light cystoscopy in 25 patients. Twelve of these patients had tumour cells in the urinary sediment, and in five of them ultraviolet cystoscopy showed bright yellow fluorescence. Biopsy specimens from the fluorescent areas revealed grade III carcinoma in situ in three patients, superficial transitional cell carcinoma in one patient and recurrence of adenocarcinoma in the fifth patient. No relationship was found between the occurrence of fluorescence and the grade of histologic malignancy or the type of bladder carcinoma. Ultraviolet cystoscopy can provide useful guidance for biopsy and thereby facilitate early detection of recurrence after treatment for bladder carcinoma in patients with persistent tumour cells in the urinary sediment but no tumour at visible light cystoscopy.