Sonography for the detection and follow-up of primary nonsarcomatous bladder tumors in children.

OBJECTIVES

To report the use of a dedicated renal-bladder sonogram for the detection and follow-up of primary nonsarcomatous bladder tumors in children.

METHODS

Three children (aged 6 to 12 years) recently presented with nontraumatic gross painless hematuria. All were evaluated initially with renal-bladder sonography.

RESULTS

Two transitional cell papillomas and one inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor were easily detected initially by sonography in the 3 children. Two were treated with transurethral resection at the time of the confirmatory cystoscopy and one, with an endoscopically unresectable tumor, was treated with excisional biopsy. The use of sonography as the diagnostic tool obviated more invasive and expensive studies, as well as exposure to ionizing radiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Renal-bladder sonography is the initial imaging modality of choice in the workup for nontraumatic gross painless hematuria in children. Not only is it an excellent screening tool for congenital malformations and renal calculi, it is also very sensitive for identifying primary bladder tumors in children.