Rare cases ofbezoars inthe urinary tract innewborns and infants – a review of case reports

Abstract

Bezoars are foreign bodies in the form of round balls typically found in the alimentary tract, in the area of the stomach. They are created from residual material, e.g. from accidentally swallowed objects (buttons, coins) or some medicines as well as hair and vegetable fibres. Bezoars increase in size as the result of accumulation of undigested food wastes and are unable to pass through the subsequent alimentary tack sections. Bezoars mostly cause nonspecific abdominal pain. In rarer cases, they can be found in the urinary tract. In this case, they develop in the course of a fungal infection within the urinary tract or generalised infection. Their mass is usually made of Candida albicans hyphae. The major factor strongly predisposing to severe fungal infections is host immunosuppression caused by iatrogenic action of medicines that block the immune system as well as different diseases that weaken immunity. In this review, the authors present selected clinical cases of urinary tract bezoars along with the diagnostic and therapeutic management.

Keywords

• bezoars
• urinary tract
• fungal infection complications
• candidiasis
• aspergillosis