SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA ARISING FROM A SUPRAPUBIC CYSTOSTOMY TRACT WITH EXTENSION INTO THE BLADDER

Although squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder is uncommon, accountin g for about 5% of all bladder cancers in the United States, it develop s with increased frequency in the spinal cord injured patient (2.5 to 10% in most studies) at a rate of 16 to 28 times the incidence in the general population.(1) The association of squamous cell carcinoma of t he bladder, chronic inflammatory states and persistent infection has b een established. We report on a paraplegic patient in whom a suprapubi c cystostomy tract squamous cell carcinoma developed after 25 years of urinary diversion. The tumor involved the cystostomy tract primarily with extension into the bladder. To our knowledge only 1 such case has been reported previously.(2) Our case reemphasizes the importance of routine surveillance in patients with chronic indwelling urinary cathe ters.