Gangrenous cystitis: report of a case and review of the literature.

Gangrenous cystitis is an extremely rare condition: only a total of 240 cases worldwide have been reported so far. Most of these cases have occurred in the preantibiotic era. After the advent and widespread use of antibiotics in clinical practice, only sporadic cases have been observed. We report a case of gangrenous cystitis in an 83-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of acute abdomen. The main causative factor was overdistension of the bladder due to urinary retention. The patient underwent total cystectomy and bilateral ureterocutaneostomy with a favorable outcome. The incidence, etiology, diagnosis, management and outcome of gangrenous cystitis are discussed.