16/11/2025
Rory was referred to our Medicine team for investigations into chronic retching and recurrent urinary issues, with abnormalities seen on ultrasound within his bladder. Medic Kate perfomed blood tests, a full abdominal ultrasound and gastroscopy (camera into the stomach). The bladder contained a mass of tissue at the pole (curved, blind end) and suction was used to grab cells for a diagnosis, in addition for general urine testing. Gastroscopy showed small nodules on the stomach lining, from which Kate took biopsies.
Happily the stomach nodules returned as gastric polyps: benign inflammatory lesions which should not cause Rory any discomfort. The bladder cells obtained indicated a Transitional Cell Carcinoma; an invasive cancer commonly found in the bladder. Rory's mass was located near the pole, away from the bladder neck, (where urine empties into the urethra) and ureters (tubes that travel from the kidneys to the bladder), so happily surgery was an option.
Rory returned to see Surgeon Ginnie who removed a section of the bladder wall, containing the mass attachment and a 1cm marging of healthy wall tissue to achieve margins. Margins of apparently 'normal' tissue are important for an invasive mass, to increase the chances that all the cancer cells are removed.
Rory recovered very well from his surgery, and happily his mass returned as a leiomyoma - a benign mass originating from muscle fibres, with ample margins of normal tissue. This is excellent news for Rory and we are sll very happy for him and his owner!
