SPONTANEOUS RUPTURE OF THE URINARY-BLADDER - A LATE COMPLICATION OF RADIOTHERAPY - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of the urinary bladder is an e xtremely rare life-threatening event. There are often difficulties in establishing the diagnosis. A patient with spontaneous perforation of the urinary bladder, 15 years after pelvic radiotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix is reported. Aspects of etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management are described. Special emphasis is placed o n surgical management as it relates to long-term outcome. (C) 1996 Aca demic Press, Inc.