Non-gynaecological Cytology
Urinary tract cytology
Anatomy and histology of the urinary tract
Collection of specimens and preparation methods
Normal urine
Benign conditions
Tumors

Adenocarcinoma

Primary adenocarcinoma is rare: approximately 2% of all primary urothelial tumors.

Adenocarcinoma – voided urine

  • Clusters of cuboidal or columnar cells
  • Large, irregular and hyperchromatic nuclei
  • Vacuolated cytoplasm
  • The vacuole is often large, single and pushes the nucleus towards the cell periphery
  • The nuclei tend to be vesicular
  • Large nucleoli and dense chromatin strands
  • Mucin-secreting, signet-ring cell and clear cell adenocarcinomas can also be seen

Adenocarcinoma – bladder washings

  • Large variations in nuclear size
  • Large nuclei without cytoplasm
  • Nuclei with irregular shape and bizarre nucleoli
  • Usually hyperchromatic nuclei with clumped chromatin but hypochromatic nuclei can also be seen
  • Marked increasing of the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio
  • Dissociated tumour cells

View urinary adenocarcinoma image library

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