Background and objectives: Studies of patients with benign pathologic lesions who underwent laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with preoperative suspicion of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma are lacking. The aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to evaluate the incidence of benign pathologic lesions on laparoscopic RNU for upper urinary tract tumors that are presumed to be urothelial carcinoma. The clinicopathologic characteristics of these lesions were also determined.
Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2010, 244 patients underwent laparoscopic RNU for possible upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma at our institute. Seven (2.9%) had benign lesions at the final pathologic examination. The preoperative features of these patients were investigated, including imaging findings, urine cytologic results, and ureteroscopic findings.
Results: The 7 patients comprised 5 men and 2 women. The lesions were located in the ureter in 5 patients and in the renal pelvis in 2. All patients underwent preoperative voided urine cytology and cystoscopy. Two patients underwent preoperative ureteroscopy. In 1 patient, definite pathologic lesions were not identified in the surgical specimen. Urinary tract tuberculosis was diagnosed in 1 patient, inflammatory pseudotumor in 2, and fibroepithelial polyps in 1. In 2 patients, stones were detected (stone with atypical papillary urothelial hyperplasia and polypoid ureteritis with ureter stone, respectively) after laparoscopic RNU.
Conclusion: Benign pathologic lesions were detected in 7 patients (2.9%) who had undergone laparoscopic RNU for upper urinary tract tumors that were presumed to be urothelial carcinoma. The description of these false-positive cases will help improve the preoperative counseling of these patients.
Keywords: Benign; Nephroureterectomy; Upper urinary tract; Urothelial carcinoma.