Bladder wall thickness

The bladder is a very important organ in the human body. If there is a problem with the bladder, it will involve many situations. Therefore, the thickness of the bladder wall is very critical. Only when it is at a normal level can you better protect your body and prevent any bacterial infection. It can also allow the bladder to function normally and maintain a smooth state.

The empty bladder has the shape of a triangular pyramid, divided into four parts: tip, body, base and neck. The tip of the bladder faces forward and upward, and there is a fold along the anterior abdominal wall to the navel, which is the median umbilical ligament. The bladder body is between the bladder apex and the bladder base. The lowest part of the bladder is the bladder neck, which is adjacent to the anterior fissure in men and the pelvic diaphragm in women.

The inner surface of the bladder is covered with mucosa. When the bladder wall contracts, the mucosa gathers into folds called bladder folds. On the inner surface of the bladder base, there is a triangular area located between the left and right ureteral orifices and the internal urethral orifice. Here, the bladder mucosa is tightly connected to the muscle layer and lacks submucosal tissue. Regardless of whether the bladder expands or contracts, it always remains smooth and is called the bladder triangle.

The bladder trigone is a common site for tumors, tuberculosis, and inflammation, and special attention should be paid during cystoscopic examination. The fold between the two ureteral orifices is called the interureteral fold, which appears as a pale band under cystoscopy and is the clinical landmark for finding the ureteral orifice. At the bladder triangle behind the male urethral opening, there is a longitudinal ridge-like protrusion called the bladder triceps, which is pushed by the middle lobe of the prostate.

It is a muscular sac-like organ that stores urine. Its shape, size, position and wall thickness vary with the degree of urine filling. The average bladder capacity of an adult is usually 350-500 ml. When it exceeds 500 ml, pain will occur due to excessive tension on the bladder wall. The maximum capacity of the bladder is 800 ml. The bladder capacity of a newborn is about one-tenth of that of an adult. The capacity of women is smaller than that of men. The capacity of the elderly is larger due to low bladder muscle tone.

Bladder tuberculosis is secondary to renal tuberculosis, and in a few cases it spreads from prostate tuberculosis. Bladder tuberculosis often coexists with urogenital tuberculosis. Early lesions include inflammation, edema, congestion and ulcers, while bladder contracture occurs in the late stage. The lesions may cause stenosis or incomplete closure of the ureteral orifice, resulting in hydronephrosis and ureteral hydrops and renal dysfunction.

Bladder tuberculosis often evolves from renal tuberculosis. The initial symptom of most patients with tuberculous cystitis is frequent urination, which gradually worsens and is accompanied by urgency, pain, and hematuria. Urinating gradually increases from 3 to 5 times per day to 10 to 20 times per day. If bladder symptoms worsen, there are extensive ulcers in the mucosa or bladder contracture, and the capacity is reduced, urination may reach dozens of times a day, or even urinary incontinence, and the patient will be in great pain.