Transitional Cell Carcinoma in an Iraqi Child: A Case Report

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in children is rare, and malignancies of the bladder mainly are of non epithelial origin in this age group. In a survey of 10,000 patients with bladder epithelial tumors, Javadpour and Most of only found 3 cases under 15 years of age. Benson and colleagues reported only 3 cases of TCC of the bladder in patients less than 10 years of age at a large referral center during a 30 year period. Frequently occurring in the 6th decade of life, the incidence of epithelial bladder carcinoma has been shown to increase with patient age, but, is considered rare in patients under 30 years of age. In the general population, bladder cancer is nearly three times more common in men than in women. In children the male to female ratio is reported from approximately 3:1 to 9:1 and 39 times more common among white children than among black children. The most common presentation of TCC in childhood is painless hematuria. In a report from Turkey, evaluations showed that a 13 year old boy who presented with gross hematuria after a blunt trauma had TCC tumor. Some children may present irritative voiding symptoms and thus be considered as potential cases of urinary tract infection. Some patients may complain urinary retention.