Influence of the grade and invasiveness of bladder cancer on disease course severity in patients with bladder tamponade resulting from a bleeding bladder cancer

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Urinary bladder tamponade is a common urological emergency, but it has so far been insufficiently researched. The aim of our study was to show the association between the characteristics of bladder cancer (grade and invasiveness) and disease course severity based on blood hemoglobin (Hgb) count at admission, the need for red blood cell transfusion (RBCT), and the length of hospitalization in patients suffering from bladder tamponade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted, namely, including 25 adult patients surgically treated for bladder tamponade resulting from a bleeding bladder cancer. RESULTS: Patients with low-grade cancer had statistically significantly higher mean Hgb values at admission (101.14 ± 8.26 vs. 87.22 g/L ± 10.64 g/L, P = 0.005), as well as a lower mean number of received units of RBCT (0.71 ± 0.76 vs. 2.39 ± 1.46, P < 0.001) and a shorter hospitalization (2.43 ± 0.55 vs. 4.36 ± 1.04 days, P = 0.009) than those with high-grade cancer. Patients suffering from nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) had statistically significantly higher mean Hgb values at admission (96.69 ± 9.86 g/L vs. 81.22 ± 7.23 g/L, P = 0.001), as well as a lower mean number of received units of RBCT (1.31 ± 1.2 vs. 3 ± 1.41, P = 0.004) and a shorter hospitalization (3.31 ± 1.14 vs. 4.78 ± 0.97 days, P = 0.004) than those with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. CONCLUSION: Low-grade bladder cancer and NMIBC are associated with a milder clinical course of bladder tamponade.