Institute of Regional Pathology and Pathomorphology, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia. pathol@soramn.ru
Structural modification of the urothelium was studied in various diseases of the urinary bladder and prostate, including urinary bladder cancer, vibration cystopathy, chronic prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia, and chronic cystitis. The general phenomena of changes in urinary bladder epithelium were atrophy, squamous metaplasia, and instability of the urothelium (focal atrophy, dysplasia, hyperplasia, and metaplasia). This phenomenon can be interpreted as a morphological marker for cancer risk.