BENIGN CYSTITIS IN CHILDREN MIMICKING RHABDOMYOSARCOMA

Seventeen (13 male, 4 female) patients, aged 13 months to 13 years, wi th benign cystitis had imaging findings that mimicked those of rhabdom yosarcoma. Our experience indicates that in the child with hematuria, dysuria, and frequency plus cystographic or sonographic demonstration of a bladder with reduced capacity and circumferential wall thickening or sonographic findings of isoechoic bladder wall thickening (focal, multifocal or circumferential distribution), intact mucosa, and bullou s lesions should strongly suggest inflammation and not malignancy. Whe n an inflammatory lesion is suspected, follow-up imaging should be per formed in 2 weeks, which if normal will preclude biopsy.