Rupture of urinary bladder: a case report and review of literature

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder is a rare event. Patients usually present with features of peritonitis and diagnosis is usually made at operation. The morbidity and mortality rate is very high in these groups of patients. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 47-year-old caucasian woman who was known to have transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder who presented with features of peritonitis. An exploratory laparotomy revealed free perforation of the urinary bladder. The perforation was closed. However, on the second post-operative day she started draining urine from the abdominal drain and was taken back to the operating theatre. The stitches in the urinary bladder had given off and she underwent radical cystectomy along with double barrel cutaneous ureterostomies. Peritoneal biopsies revealed disseminated transitional cell carcinoma in the peritoneum. She made a slow postoperative recovery. CONCLUSION: Perforation of the urinary bladder should be considered in patients presenting with peritonitis particularly with a previous history of urinary bladder cancer.