Bladder leukoplakia: pathogenesis, morphogenesis and morphological changes

This paper presents the literature data on the morphogenesis and morphological manifestations of bladder leukoplakia. In response to urogenital infections, various forms of dystrophic damage develop in the urothelium with the outcome in squamous metaplasia, more often without keratinization with destruction of the mucin layer, separation and desquamation of the cells of the surface layer. Morphogenesis of leukoplakia of the bladder mucosa in conditions of persistent infection is determined by hyperplastic reactions of the urothelium and its metaplasia into a multilayer flat keratinizing epithelium, the formation of Brunn nests, a frequent picture of cystic cystitis, the development of verrucous leukoplakia. Morphologically, there are three stages of squamous metaplasia of the bladder: squamous cell modulation; squamous cell metaplasia; squamous cell metaplasia with keratinization.