Figure 6

Photograph of bladder biopsy (H-6004/98): This 18-year old male sustained T-5 paraplegia in a car accident eighteen months ago. He manages his bladder by intermittent catheterisation. He developed bladder stones of unusual shape. The nidus of these stones was hair. Most probably, genital hair was introduced inadvertently into the bladder during self-catheterisation. Histology shows mild chronic inflammation only. There is no acute inflammation or ulceration. The inflammatory infiltrate consists mainly of lymphocytes with occasional plasma cells and mast cells, which is rather patchy and confined to the sub-epithelial zone. Only occasional lymphocytes are present within the urothelium, which is mildly hyperplastic. There is no squamous metaplasia and no evidence of dysplasia. There is also mild oedema and congestion, which may be due to bladder stones.