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Bladder Wall Pathology
The bladder wall is composed of three major layers (mucosa/submucosa, muscular layer, and serosa). There may be “sub layers” within the major layers of the bladder. See table below for details.
Anatomic drawings of the bladder.
| Bladder Layer | Sublayer | Synonyms | Behavior | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mucosa (First layer) | Epithelium, transitional epithelium, urothelium, mucosal surface, transitional mucosa | No blood vessels Noninvasive/in situ tumors |
First layer: Mucosa/Sub-mucosa Lays on inside of the bladder. Lines bladder, ureters, and urethra |
|
| Mucosa (First layer) | Basement membrane | No invasion/penetration of basement membrane (non-invasive/in situ) Invasion/penetration of basement membrane (invasive/ malignant) |
First layer: Mucosa/Sub-mucosa Lies beneath the epithelial layer; single layer of cells separating the epithelial layer from the lamina propria; a sheet of extracellular material serving as a filtration barrier and supporting structure for the mucosal layer |
|
| Mucosa (First layer) | Submucosa | Areolar connective tissue | Invasive | First layer: Mucosa/Sub-mucosa Areolar connective tissue interlaced with the muscular coat. Contains blood vessels, nerves, and in some regions, glands |
| Mucosa (First layer) | Lamina Propria | Submucosa coat, Suburothelial connective tissue, subepithelial tissue, stroma, muscularis mucosa, transitional epithelium | Invasive | First layer: Mucosa/Sub-mucosa |
Muscular (Second layer) |
Inner longitudinal, middle circular, and outer longitudinal | Muscularis, muscularis propria (muscular coat), muscularis externa, smooth muscle | Invasive | Second layer: Muscular layer |
| Serosa (Third layer) | Serosa coat, tunica serosa | Invasive | Third layer: Serosa The outermost serous coat that is a reflection of the peritoneum that covers the superior surface and the upper parts of the lateral surfaces of the urinary bladder. The serosa is part of the visceral peritoneum, and is reflected from these bladder surfaces onto the abdominal and pelvic walls |
|
| Adventitia (Third layer) | Perivesical fat: layer of fat surrounding bladder outside of serosa/adventitia | Invasive | Third layer: Serosa In areas on the bladder where there is no serosa, the connective tissue between organs merges with the connective tissue of the bladder |
Updated: April 22, 2025