Cystitis glandularis is a term describing a metaplastic transformation of mucosal cells lining the urinary bladder

Urinary bladder

The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...

. The main importance is in histopathology

Histopathology

Histopathology refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease...

, distinguishing the metaplastic change from urothelial cell carcinoma. It is a very common finding in bladder biopsies

Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...

 and cystectomies

Cystectomy

Cystectomy is a medical term for surgical removal of all or part of the urinary bladder. It may also be rarely used to refer to the removal of a cyst, or the gallbladder. The most common condition warranting removal of the urinary bladder is bladder cancer. After the bladder has been removed, an...

, and most often found in the trigone

Trigone

The trigone is a smooth triangular region of the internal urinary bladder formed by the two ureteral orifices and the internal urethral orifice....

 area. Cystitis glandularis lesion

Lesion

A lesion is any abnormality in the tissue of an organism , usually caused by disease or trauma. Lesion is derived from the Latin word laesio which means injury.- Types :...

s are usually present as small microscopic foci; however, occasionally it can form raised intramucosal or polypoid lesions. The cystitis glandularis lesions are within the submucosa

Submucosa

In the gastrointestinal tract, the submucosa is the layer of dense irregular connective tissue or loose connective tissue that supports the mucosa, as well as joins the mucosa to the bulk of underlying smooth muscle .-Contents:Blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves will run through...

.

Types

There are two main types cystitis glandularis, including a non-mucinous and mucinous (intestinal) type. The difference is in the metaplastic cells

Metaplasticity

Metaplasticity is a term originally coined by W.C. Abraham and M.F. Bear to refer to the plasticity of synaptic plasticity. Until that time synaptic plasticity had referred to the plastic nature of individual synapses. However this new form referred to the plasticity of the plasticity itself, thus...

 production of mucin

Mucin

Mucins are a family of high molecular weight, heavily glycosylated proteins produced by epithelial tissues in most metazoans. Mucins' key characteristic is their ability to form gels; therefore they are a key component in most gel-like secretions, serving functions from lubrication to cell...

, a normal feature of colonic and intestinal epithelial cells but not of urothelial cells. Another distinction is made between focal areas and diffuse involvement of the bladder. Whereas focal areas are more common, diffuse involvement is seen in chronically irritated bladders, such as in paraplegics

Paraplegia

Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...

 or those with bladder stones or indwelling catheter

Catheter

In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization...

s. Individuals with diffuse intestinal-type cystitis glandularis are at increased risk for developing bladder cancer

Bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...

.

Related lesions

Cystitis glandularis arises from and merges with Von Brunn's nests, which are groups of urothelial cells within the lamina propria

Lamina propria

The lamina propria is a constituent of the moist linings known as mucous membranes or mucosa, which line various tubes in the body ....

 and submucosa, formed from budding from the surface mucosa. They are considered normal. Cystitis cystica is a similar lesion to cystitis glandularis, where the central area of the Von Brunn's nests have degenerated, leaving cystic lesions. Other metaplastic entities in the urinary bladder include squamous metaplasia

Squamous metaplasia

Squamous metaplasia refers to benign changes in the epithelial linings of certain organs within the body. These cells assume a more squamous morphology. Common sites for squamous metaplasia include the bladder and cervix. Smokers often exhibit squamous metaplasia in the linings of their airways...

 and nephrogenic adenoma

Nephrogenic adenoma

Nephrogenic adenoma, also mesonephric adenoma and nephrogenic metaplasia, is a benign growth typically found in the urinary bladder....

.