Genitourinary Fungal Infections

Abstract

Although fungal urinary tract infections occur less frequently than bacterial urinary tract infections their incidence has increased during the last several decades and their clinical importance to the urologist should not be underestimated. Herein the pertinent literature on fungal urinary tract infections is reviewed, with emphasis on the predisposing factors, pathogenesis, host defense mechanisms and the clinical spectrum of the disease. An approach to the evaluation of positive cultures and therapy is presented.

Upper Urinary Tract Obstruction in Children Caused by Candida Fungus Balls

“…In such cases, Michigan [31 ] recommends a concomitant pelvis irrigation with amphotericin B and systemic 5-fluorocytosine (150 mg/kg body weight every 6 h orally for 3-4 weeks), both of which are administered in lower than usual doses. This association may give as a good result with fewer side effects than either drugs used alone at full dosage [4].…”

Beta-d-glucan concentrations detected by Toxicolor and Endospecy tests in the urine of patients with urinary fungal infections

“…The reported incidence of funguria in routinely collected clean urine specimens has ranged from 0 to 4% [4]. It has been suggested that a count of greater than 103 or 104 cfu/ml indicates a significant infection [2,6].…”

“…The increase in both systemic and genitourinary fungal infections is attributable in part to the widespread use of antibiotics, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs and antineoplastic agents, as well as to the ability to prolong the lives of patients with serious underlying diseases whose immunity is compromised [4,7].…”

Urinoma and arterial hypertension complicating neonatal renal candidiasis

“…Candida albicans is a saprophyte of healthy subjects and several predisposing factors have been put forward to explain the outbreak of serious systemic candidiasis [1,5,6,7]: prematurity, broad spectrum antibiotherapy, acquired or congenital immune deficiency and central catheters. We stress that none of these factors was present in our patient whose immune status is normal and who received antibiotics at normal doses.…”