Staging of bladder cancer by ultrasonography: a new technique by transurethral intravesical scanning.

A new ultrasonic scanning device has been developed for preoperative staging of bladder cancer. The device uses a transurethrally intubated probe with a head that can be angled 90 degrees against its long axis and intravesical scanning. The propagation of the ultrasound is ideal and the tomograms provide good resolution. The ultrasonic images in each stage of bladder cancer were demonstrated. Comparison of ultrasonic and pathological stages showed concordance in 19 of 20 tumors removed by total or partial cystectomy. One tumor diagnosed by ultrasonography as T3 was identified pathologically as T1. Calcification on the tumor surface obstructed ultrasonic propagation, resulting in overstaging. Transurethral intravesical scanning is valuable clinically because of its accuracy in staging bladder cancer.