Urothelial carcinoma recurrence in ileal orthotopic neobladder: urethrectomy and creation of ileal conduit.

A patient who had previously undergone radical cystoprostatectomy and ileal neobladder with the Studer technique presented with a recurrence of urothelial carcinoma in the neobladder and urethra. Surgical treatment consisted of resection of the neobladder, urethrectomy, and creation of an ileal conduit using a separately isolated segment of ileum. Pathologic analysis revealed high-grade urothelial carcinoma implants to the Studer pouch and urethra, with spread to the mesenteric lymph nodes draining the pouch. Intraluminal tumor cell seeding appears to be an important mechanism of metachronous transitional cell carcinoma recurrence in the urethra and ileal mucosa of a neobladder.