Pneumaturia in a hemodialyzed diabetic. Case report

: The emphysematous cystitis is a rare condition, usually with a favorable prognosis; it is characterized by the presence of air in the bladder lumen and/or wall caused by the fermentation of glucose due to the action of microorganisms. Here the case is described of a hemodialyzed diabetic oligoanuric patient suffering from frequent symptomatic relapses of urinary tract infection, with air in the bladder and reported pneumaturia. The diagnostic workup aimed to exclude the presence of enterovesical fistulas, which are a possible cause of the presence of air in the urinary tract. The air was produced by bacteria isolated in the urine culture. Both the dysuric symptoms and the gas disappeared after appropriate antibiotic treatment.