Carcinoma of the bladder:

D. May mimic an acute UTI with irritability and hematuria.

DISCUSSION: Carcinoma of the bladder is primarily of transitional cell origin, arising from the transitional epithelium that lines the bladder. It may be confused with an acute UTI by producing urgency, frequency, and hematuria. Bladder carcinoma may be treated conservatively using intravesical agents if the tumor is intraepithelial in origin and does not invade through the basement membrane. Neither radiation nor chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for disease that invades the muscle of the bladder. Partial cystectomy may be chosen only when the disease is focal and there are no mucosal changes in other parts of the bladder.