Gas Where It Shouldn't Be! Imaging Spectrum of Emphysematous Infections in the Abdomen and Pelvis.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum, etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, imaging features, differential diagnoses, and management of emphysematous infections of the abdomen and pelvis. CONCLUSION. Emphysematous infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality and thus need urgent medical and surgical interventions. CT is the most sensitive modality to detect gas; CT provides definitive diagnosis in most cases and can depict the extent of involvement.

Peripyelitis: A risk factor for urinary fistula after tubeless PCNL.

A 43 years-old man presented to our stone clinic complaining of back pain for the last 3 months. He had significant past medical history for nephrolithiasis: he had undergone unsuccessful SWL for left renal calculi five years ago and also presented with several episodes of pyelonephritis in the last months, requiring hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. Initial laboratory work-up revealed normal serum creatinine (0.92 mg/dL) and hemoglobin levels (15.3 g/dL); urine culture was negative. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a 140 mm2 stone in the left renal pelvis with 1500 Hounsfield Units (Figure-1a); thickening of the urothelium surrounding the stone was suspected after contrast infusion (Figure-1b) and confirmed in the excretory phase (Figure-1c).

An Uncommon Complication of Emphysematous Cystitis and Pyelitis.

Psoas muscle abscesses associated with emphysematous urinary tract infections are rare. There are not many case reports about urinary tract infections such as emphysematous pyelitis and emphysematous cystitis complicating psoas muscle abscesses. Here, we report a case of an ipsilateral psoas muscle abscess following emphysematous cystitis and emphysematous pyelitis in an 81-year-old diabetic man. He was treated with prolonged antibiotic therapy and other supportive care.

Encrusted pyelitis in a male with bricker urinary derivation and ureteral catheter.

OBJECTIVE: Encrusted pyelitis in an infection caused by Corynebacterium Urealyticum. The incidence has increased, specially in immunosuppressed patients and patients with indwelling urinary catheters. METHODS: We are presenting a case of a 72 years old male with Bricker urinary derivation with an ureteral catheter. During the follow up, catheteral calcification and encrusted pyelitis were found in TC images and cultures were positive for Corynebacteirum Urealitycum. This condition was managed with endoscopic and medical treatment; that consisted in antibiotics and acidification of urine through nephrostomy tube using an acidifying irrigation solution and Lit-Control pH Down orally, in order to avoid new infections. RESULTS: Treatment was effective, no new reinfections were shown with the use of Lit-Control pH Down for the maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: The suspected diagnosis and the early treatment of encrusted pyelitis avoid complications. Antibiotics and urine acidification are key in the treatment of this disease.

OBJETIVO: La pielitis incrustante es una infección causada por Corynebacterium Urealyticum cuya incidencia está aumentando, sobre todo en pacientes inmunodeprimidos, y en portadores de catéteres permanentes.MÉTODOS: Se presenta el caso de un varón de 72 años con derivación urinaria tipo Bricker y portador de catéter JJ. Posteriormente se objetiva calcificación del mismo con imágenes en la TAC sugestivas de pielitis incrustante y urocultivos positivos para Corynebacterium Urealyticum. Se realiza tratamiento combinado endoscópico y médico con antibioterapia y acidificación de la orina, a través de nefrostomía con solución acidificante de irrigación y por vía oral con Lit-Control pH Down, para evitar nuevas infecciones. RESULTADOS: El tratamiento fue efectivo, con ausencia de reinfecciones gracias al tratamiento de mantenimiento con Lit-Control pH Down. CONCLUSIONES: La sospecha diagnóstica y tratamiento precoz de la pielitis incrustante evitan las complicaciones asociadas. La antibioterapia asociada a acidificación de la orina son los pilares básicos de tratamiento.

A case of ureteral fungal mass removal in a patient taking empagliflozin.

With increased use of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors as antidiabetic agents, the risk of serious fungal urinary tract infection (UTI) may be increased. We present the case of a 67-year-old Caucasian female who was admitted for emphysematous pyelitis and found to have a fungal ball in the renal pelvis. Candida glabrata was cultured and the patient was managed with percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement and antifungal treatment. The fungal ball persisted and required surgical removal with ureteroscopy and basket extraction. Fungal balls can be a difficult sequelae of UTIs requiring a combination of antifungal and surgical intervention for definitive management.

Asymptomatic emphysematous pyelitis-a rare clinical entity.

A 62-year-old asymptomatic woman with diabetes was referred to the urology department from nephrology due to deterioration in renal function with accompanied right-sided hydronephrosis on ultrasound. CT imaging subsequently revealed a right-sided staghorn calculus and a significant volume of gas in the right collecting system from the kidney to the distal ureter, in keeping with emphysematous pyelitis. She was admitted and managed with antibiotics and insertion of right nephrostomy in the first instance, followed by percutaneous nephrolithotomy to definitively manage the stone. The patient remained asymptomatic throughout the process.

Chronic sclerosing pyelitis with an increased number of IgG4-positive plasma cells.

IgG4-related disease has been recently described. This disease occurs in various anatomic locations including pancreas, biliary tract, liver, retroperitoneum, kidney, breast, lung, thyroid gland, prostate, salivary gland, lacrimal gland, and lymph node. In this article, we report the first case of IgG4-related disease arising in the renal pelvis. A 49-year-old Japanese woman was found to show left hydronephrosis by a medical checkup. Histological examination of the renal pelvic tumor showed IgG4-related disease. Her postoperative serum IgG4 was elevated, and this was compatible with IgG4-related disease. Systemic examination showed swelling of major and minor salivary glands and the lacrimal glands, and biopsy of the minor salivary gland revealed the finding of IgG4-related disease. Finally, pathologists and clinicians should be aware of the possibility that the renal pelvis may be involved in IgG4-related systemic disease.

Emphysematous pyelitis: epidemiological, therapeutic and evolutive features.

AIM: Emphysematous pyelitis is an uncommon form of acute pyelonephritis. It has been reported sporadically in the literature. Our objective is to study the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of emphysematous pyelitis. METHODS: The data of six patients managed for emphysematous pyelitis were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age was 55 years. Urinary lithiasis and diabetes were the most common co-morbidities. Febrile lumbar pain and general health impairment were the presenting symptoms in five patients; the remaining case presented with septic shock. Urine and blood culture grew E. Coli in 4 and 3 cases respectively. Computed tomography of the abdomen led to diagnosis by showing gas images in the collecting system. Treatment consisted of antibiotics associated with collecting system drainage. It avoided emergent nephrectomy in all cases. The treatment of the calculi was held at distance from the infection. Nephrectomy was done in one patient presenting a thinned -- dedifferentiated -- renal parenchyma. Outcome was good. CONCLUSION: Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare upper urinary tract infection. Risk factors include diabetes and urinary obstruction. The diagnosis is made by computed tomography. Efficient antibiotics administration associated with collecting system drainage allow soon recovery and avoid nephrectomy.

Gas in the kidney in asymptomatic Escherichia coli urinary tract infections in a patient with severe vesicoureteral reflex.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common disease in Oman as in rest of Gulf Cooperation Council where metabolic syndrome is of high prevalence. DM is a foremost risk factor for urinary tract infections (UTIs). It is also linked to more complicated infections such as emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN), emphysematous pyelitis (EP), renal/perirenal abscess, emphysematous cystitis, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis, and renal papillary necrosis. The diagnosis of these cases is frequently delayed because the clinical manifestations are generic and not different from the typical triad of upper UTI, which include fever, flank pain, and pyuria. A middle-aged female with DM and chronic kidney disease stage IV was admitted with recurrent UTI with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. At presentation, she was afebrile, clinically stable, had no flank pain and there was no leukocytosis. Laboratory test for C- reactive protein done twice and was only mildly elevated at 7 and 11 mg/dL. A computed tomography scan of kidney-ureter-bladder (CT-KUB) was recommended and reported as "no KUB stone but small atrophic left kidney with dilatation of the pelvicalycial system and ureter and the presence of air in the collecting system suggestive of EP." Thus, commonly associated with DM, especially in females, debilitated immune-deficient individuals, and patients harboring obstructed urinary system with infective nidus. Air in the kidney is not always due to EPN. UTI with a gas-producing organism can ascend to the kidney in the presence of vesicoureteral reflux.

Urinary tract infection due to Corynebacterium urealyticum in kidney transplant recipients: an underdiagnosed etiology for obstructive uropathy and graft dysfunction-results of a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Corynebacterium urealyticum is a cause of urinary tract infection and encrusting cystitis or pyelitis. Information about this infection in renal transplant recipients is based on case reports. We communicate the first prospective epidemiological study for this population. METHODS: We selected a cohort of 163 renal transplant recipients who were screened for urinary tract infection due to C. urealyticum. Long-term incubation and special media were used for culture of C. urealyticum. The cohort was observed for a mean of 26.2 months (standard deviation, 8.7; range, 1-36 months). Risk factors and outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: At baseline, 16 (9.8%) of 163 patients had C. urealyticum bacteriuria (6 were asymptomatic, 9 had acute cystitis, and 1 had encrusting pyelitis). Independent risk factors (assessed by multivariate analysis) for urinary tract C. urealyticum infection were: antibiotic administration during the previous month (odds ratio, 8.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-41.06; P = .012), history of nephrostomy (odds ratio, 51.59; 95% confidence interval, 3.62-736.06; P = .004), and skin colonization (odds ratio, 208.35; 95% confidence interval, 21.54-2015.22; P< .001). Presence of urinary tract infection symptoms for >1 month (odds ratio, 27.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.55-300.5; P = .006) and obstructive uropathy (odds ratio 25.9; 95% confidence interval, 4.43-152.31; P < .001) were more frequent during follow-up in patients with C. urealyticum bacteriuria. CONCLUSIONS: When specifically tested for, C. urealyticum bacteriuria is more prevalent than previously thought in renal transplant recipients, and it is closely related to obstructive uropathy. Future studies are necessary to establish the relevance of treating the infection during follow-up after renal transplantation.

[Encrusted pyelitis: early diagnosis facilitates conservative management]. / Pyélite incrustante: un diagnostic précoce facilite la prise en charge conservatrice.

Diagnosis of encrusted pyelitis in predisposed patients is difficult. The bacteriology laboratory must be specifically asked to perform the appropriate tests. Computed tomography without injection is very important for diagnosis and follow-up. Conservative treatment is essential insofar as possible. Long-term follow-up is also necessary.

[Encrusted Pyelitis during a case of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura].

Encrusted pyelitis is a chronic urinary tract infection associated with mucosal encrustation induced by urea splitting bacteria. More than 40 bacteria have been implicated but the most frequent is Corynebacterium group D2. Predisposing factors are debilitating chronic diseases and preexisting urological procedures. Immunosoppression is an important cofactor. For these reasons the disease is almost always nosocomially acquired and renal transplant recipients are at particular risk. The symptoms are not specific and long lasting: dysuria, flank pain and gross haematuria are the most frequent; fever is present in two-thirds. The demonstration of urine splitting bacteria in constantly alkaline urines and radiological evidence of extensive calcification of pelvicalyceal system, ureter and bladder at US or CT scan in a clinical context of predisposing factors are the mainstay of diagnosis. Treatment is based on adapted antibiotic therapy, acidification of urine and excision of plaques of calcified encrustation. The prognosis relies on timing of diagnosis; delay can be detrimental and result in patient's death and graft loss. We describe a unique case of 69-year-old man with two contemporary diseases: autoimmune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and encrusted pyelitis with a fatal evolution.

Successful treatment of Corynebacterium urealyticum encrusted cystitis: a case report and literature review.

Encrusted cystitis is a very rare chronic inflammatory disease of the bladder characterized by precipitation and incrustation of phosphate and ammonium-magnesium salts on the vescical mucosa, caused by urinary infection due to urolithic microorganisms. Corynebacterium urealyticum or Corynebacterium group D2, a multiple antibiotic-resistant urea-splitting bacterium, is the most frequently incriminated aetiology. We report a case of a 57-year-old man affected by systemic erythematosus lupus with a long history of dysuria and suprapubic pain who underwent percutaneous nephrostomy drainage with urethral stenting for lupoid obstructive uropathy. Before the diagnosis of encrusted cystitis by Corynebacterium urealyticum was established, the patient underwent five cystoscopies to remove the plaques and multiple unsuccessful antibiotic treatment courses. Eventually the infection was definitively cured after a two-week course with intramuscular teicoplanin.