Boon's disease: Hemorrhagic cystitis in conjunction with massive exfoliation of degenerated urothelial cells (apoptosis?) during intercontinental flights in an otherwise healthy person
Lp. Kok, Boon's disease: Hemorrhagic cystitis in conjunction with massive exfoliation of degenerated urothelial cells (apoptosis?) during intercontinental flights in an otherwise healthy person, DIAGN CYTOP, 25(6), 2001, pp. 361-364
Hemorrhagic cystitis is a well-defined clinical emergency, usually occurrin
g in the course of treatment with toxic agents such as cyclophosphamide. We
present a case of hemorrhagic cystitis in an otherwise completely healthy
female. The three documented attacks it-ere severe and started during inter
continental flights. This type of hemorrhagic cystitis as a disease proved
to be a boon, treatable by drinking large amounts of water, and was diagnos
ed by and in Dr. Boon; thus was the appellation Boon's disease coined. Cell
ular changes in the urine specimen taken after onset of the disease indicat
ed massive exfoliation of degenerated urothelial cells with morphological f
eatures suggestive of apoptosis. It seems likely that this process can be i
nitiated by any event which is associated with compromise of vitality of th
e urinary bladder lining, such as may occur in hypovolemia. This type of he
morrhagic cystitis is most probably not uncommon in susceptible individuals
during intercontinental flights. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.