Abstract
It is imperative to understand the normal components lining the urothelial tract to avoid the overinterpretation of reactive changes. The cytomorphologic findings in urinary tract cytology will vary depending on how a specimen was procured. Voided urine specimens contain naturally exfoliated cells (both benign and neoplastic), as well as entities that form or proliferate within the urinary tract (such as crystals and bacteria). In washing specimens, forcibly exfoliated cells tend to predominate; larger and more numerous fragments are often present. In specimens that are not collected through a catheter, extra-urinary contaminants may be seen, such as squamous cells from the genital areas. Other normal findings include renal tubular cells, changes secondary to cystitis, microorganisms, crystals, casts, seminal vesicle cells, and endometrial cells. This chapter discusses benign and reactive findings seen in urine cytology and small bladder biopsy specimens.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Suggested Reading
Cox R, Epstein JI. Large nested variant of urothelial carcinoma: 23 cases mimicking von Brunn nests and inverted growth pattern of noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 2011;35(9):1337–42.
Guo CC, Fine SW, Epstein JI. Noninvasive squamous lesions in the urinary bladder: a clinicopathologic analysis of 29 cases. Am J Surg Pathol. 2006;30(7):883–91.
Lane Z, Epstein JI. Polypoid/papillary cystitis: a series of 41 cases misdiagnosed as papillary urothelial neoplasia. Am J Surg Pathol. 2008;32(5):758–64.
Lopez-Beltran A, Luque RJ, Mazzucchelli R, Scarpelli M, Montironi R. Changes produced in the urothelium by traditional and newer therapeutic procedures for bladder cancer. J Clin Pathol. 2002;55(9):641–7.
Sharifai N, Abro B, Chen JF, Zhao M, He H, Cao D. Napsin A is a highly sensitive marker for nephrogenic adenoma: an immunohistochemical study with a specificity test in genitourinary tumors. Hum Pathol. 2020;102:23–32.
Tong GX, Weeden EM, Hamele-Bena D, Huan Y, Unger P, Memeo L, O’Toole K. Expression of PAX8 in nephrogenic adenoma and clear cell adenocarcinoma of the lower urinary tract: evidence of related histogenesis. Am J Surg Pathol. 2008;32(9):1380–7.
Vakar-Lopez F, Shen SS, Zhang S, Tamboli P, Ayala AG, Ro JY. Muscularis mucosae of the urinary bladder revisited with emphasis on its hyperplastic patterns: a study of a large series of cystectomy specimens. Ann Diagn Pathol. 2007;11(6):395–401.
Volmar KE, Chan TY, De Marzo AM, Epstein JI. Florid von Brunn nests mimicking urothelial carcinoma: a morphologic and immunohistochemical comparison to the nested variant of urothelial carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 2003;27(9):1243–52.
Young RH, Bostwick DG. Florid cystitis glandularis of intestinal type with mucin extravasation: a mimic of adenocarcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 1996;20(12):1462–8.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Allison, D.B., Ellis, C.L., VandenBussche, C.J. (2022). Urinary Tract Exfoliative Cytology and Biopsy Specimens: Nonneoplastic Findings. In: VandenBussche, C.J., Ellis, C.L. (eds) Genitourinary System Cytology and Small Biopsy Specimens. Essentials in Cytopathology, vol 29. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87875-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87875-7_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-87874-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-87875-7
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)