Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: a case of remarkable remission with combined chemotherapy.

A 67-year-old man presented with asymptomatic gross hematuria. Cystoscopy and radiographic studies revealed a large tumor on the left lateral wall of the urinary bladder. Also, computer tomographic (CT) scan of the pelvic cavity showed metastasis to the left external iliac node. The light microscopic appearance of cold punch biopsy specimens for the tumor was closely akin to small cell carcinoma of the lung. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells exhibited small numbers of neurosecretory granules in the cytoplasm. After surgical treatment, the patient was treated with combined chemotherapy using cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) and etoposide. On CT scan, a remarkable remission was shown to have been induced at the metastatic site after three cycles of the therapy. Though the morphology of bladder tumors has not received very much attention, this report emphasizes that detailed pathological examination is of therapeutic importance.