Abstract
A B S T R A C T Keywords. Bladder Tumor, Urothelial Carcinoma, COVID-19, Hematuria, Tripoli Central Hospital, TURBT, Smoking. This retrospective study evaluates patients admitted with a diagnosis of bladder growth (tumor) at Tripoli Central Hospital (TCH) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era of 2021. Bladder cancer is the most common genitourinary malignancy, often presenting with symptoms that may mimic a urinary tract infection, which can lead to delayed diagnosis. The primary objective was to assess the clinical and pathological characteristics of these patients. 47 patients, aged between 23 and 85 years, were included in the study. The cohort consisted predominantly of males (41 males, 6 females). The main presenting symptom for the majority of patients (91.45%) was painless gross hematuria. Diagnostic workup involved clinical examination, Ultrasound Scan (USS), and Contrast Computed Tomography Urogram (CTU). Histopathological analysis revealed that Urothelial Carcinoma (TCC) accounted for the vast majority of cases (95.74%), with one case of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and one benign tumor. A high percentage (78.72%) of patients were smokers, suggesting a strong correlation between smoking and bladder malignancy. All patients underwent Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT) with complete tumor resection. The duration of hospitalization was short for most patients, ranging from 0 to 5 days (89.3%). The findings emphasize that gross hematuria, particularly in adult males over 40, must be promptly and thoroughly investigated for underlying malignancy, especially in the context of pandemic-related healthcare stresses.