Purpose: We compared hexaminolevulinate (HAL) blue light cystoscopy (BLC) with standard white light cystoscopy (WLC) in the diagnosis of noninvasive bladder tumors (NIBT) and analyzed the efficiency of blue light transurethral resection of the bladder (BL-TURB).
Materials and methods: WLC and BLC were performed in 64 cases. BL-TURB was applied for lesions that were detected only by BLC. Patients who received a diagnosis of NIBT were followed up after 18 weeks by WLC and BLC. The control group included the same number of consecutive patients with NIBT, diagnosed only by WLC and treated by WL-TURB.
Results: WLC correctly diagnosed 66.4%, with a 9.7% rate of false-positive results, while BLC diagnosed 95.7%, but had a 13.5% rate of false-positive results. The study group had a recurrence rate of 5.3% vs 23.2% in the control group.
Conclusions: HAL fluorescence cystoscopy is a valuable diagnostic method, with considerably improved accuracy. BL-TURB represents a superior treatment modality, with significant impact on the recurrence rate.