Case Series of Thermal Cautery Artifact in Urine Cytology: An Uncommon Finding but a Potential Pitfall

Thermal cautery artifact in urine cytology is rare and can be seen following laser, electrocautery, and fulguration. The spindling artifact can render some degree of difficulty in assessing for the presence of urothelial atypia both in cytology and biopsy. Familiarity with these cytologic features, knowledge of the treatment procedure, attention to the cytologic findings of well-preserved cells and repeat sampling in cases with atypical urothelial cells in patients with history of malignancy is essential.