[The efficacy of rigid and flexible endoscopes in the diagnosis of bladder diseases].

A comparative assessment of the efficiency of rigid and flexible endoscopes used for the diagnosis of bladder diseases (cystitis, papilloma, carcinoma in a total of 250 patients) is reported. Cystoscopy made use of a rigid catheter in 101 patients and of a flexible one, in 149. With rigid cystoscope procedure, the diagnosis was correct in 72.2%, doubtful in 13.9%, and erroneous in 13.9%. Major causes of the failure of cystoscopy in this group of patients were bleedings small volume of the bladder, tumor disintegration incontinence, prostatic adenoma, fistula, the tumor outside rigid endoscope's visibility range, or grave condition of the patient. Fiber cystoscopy made use of 6 mm endoscopes, corresponding to No 18 by Charrière's scale. Flexible endoscope procedure proved effective in 98.7% of the patients, including 11 patients after a failure with rigid cystoscopy. Principal advantages of vesicle fibroscopy are that the method is absolutely atraumatic, painless, quick, has no dead zones and makes possible complete examination of the mucosa of diverticula or any exophytic formation, and target biopsy.