Sonography of Candida albicans cystitis

Abstract

Candida albicans infections are opportunistic and range from asymptomatic infections to life-threatening ones. Noted on sonography in three proven cases, Candida albicans cystitis produced a mildly thickened bladder wall and a discrete, well-defined, dense fluid-fluid interface within the bladder, debris that contained the long threadlike pseudomycelia of the fungus. This fluid-fluid interface shifted with changes in position. The sonographic appearance, although not pathognomonic, was similar in all three cases. Sonography was used to monitor the progress of therapy. In all three cases, conservative treatment successfully cleared the vesical debris without significant sequelae or the formation of concretions analogous to bezoars and the bladder returned to normal except for minimal residual wall thickening.