Three cases of spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of the bladder

Spontaneous rupture of the bladder is a rare disease which raises real diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Based on three new cases of spontaneous rupture of the bladder in the absence of any trauma and a review of the literature, the authors discuss the various diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic aspects of this unusual lesion, secondary to multiple aetiologies, predominantly inflammatory causes. Idiopathic rupture of the bladder is particularly serious compared to other forms of traumatic or iatrogenic rupture. Late diagnosis caused by the absence of pathognomonic signs and the generally insidious clinical course at least partly contribute to this severity. Neoplastic forms have a very poor prognosis.