Rare cases of bezoars in the urinary tract of diabetic patients - a review of case reports

Bezoars are spherical conglomerates of foreign bodies or food debris, typically occurring in the gastrointestinal tract, primarily in the stomach. In exceptionally rare cases bezoars may also form within the urinary tract. In such cases, their formation is a result of an ongoing fungal infection in the urinary tract or a systemic infection, and the bezoar is most often composed primarily of hyphae, mostly of species Candida albicans, and fragments of necrotic tissue. Chronic hyperglycaemia impairs natural defence mechanisms of the immune system, both cellular as well as humoral, and thus predisposes towards fungal infections. This paper discusses selected examples of cases of fungal bezoars in the urinary tract in diabetic patients described to date, with an emphasis on risk factors for their formation and treatment methods.