Korean J Urol.  2006 Jul;47(7):802-805. 10.4111/kju.2006.47.7.802.

Primary Urethral Adenocarcinoma in a Young Man Who Presented with Voiding Dysfunction

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Urology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea. urodori@yahoo.co.kr
  • 2Department of Pathology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Primary urethral carcinoma accounts for less than 1% of the malignancies in males and adenocarcinoma accounts for 5% of all urethral carcinomas. A 36-year-old man with a history suggestive of urethral stricture was scheduled to undergo retrograde urethrography and visual urethrotomy. On urethroscopic examination, an abnormal polypoid mass was found in the proximal bulbous urethra, so transurethral resection biopsy was added to the urethrotomy. Histopathologic examination demonstrated urethral adenocarcinoma with no invasion to the corpus spongiosum and cavernosa on the magnetic resonance imaging. There was no evidence of metastasis and the search for the primary focus of adenocarcinoma revealed that the tumor originated from the urethra. The patient underwent segmental urethral resection and there has been no recurrence for 1-year follow-up.

Keyword

Adenocarcinoma; Male; Urethra

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma*
Adult
Biopsy
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Neoplasm Metastasis
Recurrence
Urethra
Urethral Stricture

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Retrograde urethrography shows distal bulbous urethral narrowing and an indefinite filling defect at the proximal bulbous urethra.

  • Fig. 2 Urethroscopic findings of the proximal bulbous urethra reveals 0.5-1cm sized multiple polypoid masses.

  • Fig. 3 Microscopic findings of the urethral masses. There is complex glandular pattern with hemorrhage, pleomorphic nuclear shape and mitoses, and these are typical of adenocarcinoma (H&E, ×400).

  • Fig. 4 Histologic findings of the segmental urethrectomy. There is focal residual adenocarcinoma at the subepithelium (H&E, ×100).


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