Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of urinary bladder: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE: Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the urinary bladder is a highly aggressive tumor with high local recurrence and distant metastasis rates in cases of incomplete excision. We report a case of a young female patient, in whom early laparoscopic radical cystectomy combined with standard lymph node dissection and a modified vincristine, doxorubicin hydrochloride, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) chemotherapy regimen was controversial. Because PNET of the urinary bladder is a rare malignancy, the standard treatment regimen has not yet been established. It is not clear whether surgery combined with postoperative chemotherapy for PNET patients may be superior to surgery alone on long term survival. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient was a 45-year-old Chinese woman who complained of lower urinary tract symptoms, including urgency, frequency, and difficulty in urination, for 2 months. DIAGNOSES: PNET. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy and standard lymph node dissection, combined with modified VAC chemotherapy regimens. OUTCOMES: After undergoing radical surgery in 2018, the patient completed 6 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy. Abdominal and thorax computed tomography scanning was performed 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the surgery was completely free of tumor. The patient is still alive with no signs of recurrent disease 2 years after diagnosis. LESSONS: Radical surgery and standard lymphadenectomy combined with adjuvant chemotherapy may be essential to improve the prognosis of PNET of the urinary bladder.