It is known that approximately 30% of people suffering from diseases of the urinary system ultimately have bladder papillomas.
And the problem of this pathology is that it is impossible to say for sure whether papilloma will develop into a malignant tumor if it is not timely to take up its treatment, or nothing serious will happen. This article will describe the features of this education, how it threatens and how to get rid of it.
Essence of the disease
Papilloma is a disease that can develop not only on the integument of the skin, but also on the organs of the urogenital system of a person. In particular, benign neoplasms can also affect the bladder.
With this form of the disease, papillomas form on the organ, which develop on its inner shell, and they are attached using a thin leg. This growth is a large number of processes in the form of oblong filaments, which in medicine are characterized as transitional cell papilloma of the bladder.
Disease development
At first, the disease develops locally, occurring only in certain parts of the walls of the bladder, and is benign. However, in this case there is a risk of further spread of papilloma and penetration of growths into the surface of the tissues of the urethra. In the end, the affected area becomes larger, because the pathology is growing.
Today, medical practice records a small number of cases of development of papillomas of the bladder. In most cases, complaints about the occurrence of pathology come from older people - usually after 48 years.
It is interesting that, according to statistics, in women the disease develops 3 times less often than in men. Papilloma of the bladder in representatives of a strong half of humanity is observed much more often. And all due to the characteristic features of the structure of the urinary system.
The effect of neoplasms on the body
When the bladder papilloma seriously grows and grows in scale, it significantly interferes with the normal emptying of the organ, since it blocks the lumen in the urethra or ureter. Such a condition can serve as an impetus for the development of diseases such as pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis, uremia.
Papillomas formed by any of the organs of the urinary system can be twisted, which is why blood circulation is disturbed. If these growths break off or grow into the walls of the bladder, streaks of a bloody appearance appear in the urine. This should be a serious reason for the treatment of papilloma of the bladder, since this phenomenon may be evidence of the development of a malignant disease.
By their origin, such growths are in most cases benign, but there is always a risk that they can develop into malignant tumors.
Causes of occurrence
So far, the exact causes that lead to the appearance of neoplasms in the organs of the urinary system have not been identified.
However, it is well known that HPV (human papillomavirus), which “sits” in the human body for a long time and does not appear at all, can actively affect organs under the influence of certain factors.
According to statistics, in most cases, the occurrence of papillomas in the bladder is provoked by the following factors:
- long smoking history;
- exposure to carcinogenic chemicals;
- prolonged urinary retention.
The influence of some factors on the development of the disease
Cancer can be a consequence of the influence of carcinogens, which differ in their chemical structure. It turned out that the number of people working in the aniline-paint industry, patients with cancer of the bladder is many times greater than among workers in other industries.
The action of carcinogenic substances in the form of malignant tumors can develop even decades after contact with them.
Gradually, the tumor begins to grow, increase in size due to the affected areas of the walls of the bladder, thereby provoking a precancerous condition. A large role in this is played by the amount and time period of exposure to carcinogenic chemicals on the human body.
In rare cases, papilloma of the bladder can develop in people with a long history of smoking, since tobacco contains a considerable amount of carcinogens.
Long-term retention of urine as a cause of neoplasms
Regular urinary retention due to a certain situation or due to some psychological problems can also lead to the formation of papillomas in the bladder in women and men.
The prolonged presence of urine in the bladder seriously affects its concentration, due to which the negative effect of urine components on the epithelium, lining urothelium, the urinary tract, is enhanced.
It turns out that urine stays much longer in the bladder, and not in the ureters and kidneys. That is why this particular organ suffers.
A healthy bladder can hold urine for about 3-4 hours in a volume of about 300 ml. While a person should consume at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
The disease in men and women
In some cases, it may be necessary to treat papillomas in the bladder in men due to cystitis, which is natural in nature with trophic lesions and ulcers. And also because of the peculiarities of the anatomy, it is precisely for the male that the most characteristic problem is urinary retention, which, in turn, may be a consequence of prostatitis, prostate cancer, or prostate adenoma.
In women, symptoms of papilloma of the bladder can occur with regular untimely emptying of the organ.
Excessive addiction to cigarettes and excessive consumption of alcohol, stones in the bladder, complicated cystitis with regular relapses, as well as work related to harmful chemicals, also become significant factors that provoke the development of diseases of the bladder.
Symptomatology
The following symptoms of papilloma of the bladder should alert and encourage a visit to the doctor:
- hematurgy - the appearance in the urine of bloody fibers;
- unreasonable urge to urinate;
- the occurrence of acute pain during urination;
- regular urination with a burning sensation.
Diagnostic measures
Cystoscopy is the main way to diagnose a bladder tumor. Using this method, you can identify the specific location, size and general condition of the neoplasm, track the appearance of the mucous membranes of the mouths of the ureters and near the surface of the tumor.
Neoplasms, which are thin villi of different lengths, located on small legs and similar to twigs, in the case of a healthy and prosperous mucosa indicate a non-infiltrating tumor.
Dilated vessels and edema along the perimeter of a wide base with wide and short villi characterize the infiltration walls of the bladder. The appearance in it of a growth of fleshy appearance without lint, with dead areas, indicates the onset of the cancer process. In this case, urination is observed rather turbid in color with impurities of mucus and a pronounced smell of acetone.
A small amount of material that is taken with a cystoscope during a histological examination will determine the type of inflammatory process and evaluate the condition and type of papilloma.
Pelvic venography - during this procedure, a contrast agent is injected into the area of the pubic bone, and specifically into the bone marrow, which helps to detect the degree of growth of the tumor in the bladder wall and to track the presence or absence of metastases. This type of diagnosis is approximately 20% more accurate than cystoscopy.
Ultrasound (ultrasound) and CT (computed tomography) help identify papillomas in the bladder, which in diameter grew by more than 1 centimeter. That is why it is recommended to resort to cystoscopy for an early and timely diagnosis. A urologist with palpation can detect papillomas in the bladder if they seriously penetrate the walls of the organ and spread widely over it.
Why is it so important to diagnose papilloma in time?
The transitional cell growth is a neoplasm, the structure of which is characterized by a violation of the cells of the bladder wall epithelium. They usually have a light pink or bright red hue, and the villi are soft and are attached to long legs. Sometimes tumors are located next to the mucous membrane, since they have wide, solid bases. The villi are covered with stratified epithelium on top.
The transitional cell type of papilloma is dangerous in that its cells can transform into a malignant tumor. That is why it is recommended to diagnose the pathology in time and at least once every few months to undergo a special examination until the person is fully recovered.
However, papillomas of the bladder after removal can occur again, only in other places on its walls. So the diagnosis at least once every 3 years is simply necessary.
Treatment
A urologist, after all the necessary diagnostic measures have been carried out, the stage and nature of the disease has been determined, must choose an individual course of treatment.
Endoscopic surgery - consists of electroresection of the affected areas of the bladder. The procedure is necessary in cases where the papillomas have not grown into the muscles of the organ. If neoplasms have already penetrated into the muscle tissue of the bladder, then radiation therapy is used. Or surgery.
Transurethral resection is necessary when neoplasms have penetrated the urethra. In this situation, the patient is placed a catheter for a couple of days. With a serious and deep damage to the walls of the bladder, sick areas are cut out.
Cystectomy is effective when the case is very complex. Therefore, removal of the bladder is indispensable. This happens if the tumor is malignant. In such cases, you will definitely need an operation of the papilloma of the bladder.
Radiation therapy is used as an inhibitory factor against the spread of pathological cells and to reduce the existing tumor. In many cases, this method helps to completely get rid of the neoplasm. A photo of the papilloma of the bladder will verify the seriousness of this pathology.