Correlation of selective arteriography in the staging of bladder tumors

Bilateral selective hypogastric arteriography was performed in 65 patients, and aortic injections were performed in 8 patients with suspected bladder tumors. A definitive pathologic diagnosis was made in 46 patients from cystectomy specimens and in another 14 patients by surgical exploration. These 60 patients with definitive pathologic diagnoses were used to calculate the correlations of arteriographic staging. The remaining 13 patients of the series of 73 were not used in the calculations, as a pathologic diagnosis by either cystectomy or open surgical inspection was not available. Of the 60 cases used in the calculations of arteriographic accuracy, tumor or no tumor was diagnosed arteriographically in 58 cases (97%) and clinically in 59 cases (98%). The tumors were staged both clinically and arteriographically, with an overall precise clinical correlation of 53% and an overall precise arteriographic correlation of 72%. Although arteriography improves the clinical staging of bladder tumors, some limitations are recognized.