Vascular architecture of normal human urinary bladder and its remodeling in cancer, as revealed by corrosion casting

The vasculature of normal human urinary bladder wall and its tumors were st udied using corrosion casting and scanning electron microscopy. In the norm al wall, a regular organization of highly tortuous horizontal and vertical vessels allows accommodation of the vascular system to spatial changes resu lting from the filling/voiding cycle. The vasculature of tumors is a result of remodeling of preexisting wall vessels associated with gradual growth o f the neoplastic tissue. The shape and arrangement of blood vessels in diff erent regions of the tumor seem to reflect a variable dynamics of tumor dev elopment and possible influence of various angiogenesis-promoting growth fa ctors.