Fungal bezoars as a cause of renal insufficiency in neonates and infants--recommended treatment strategy.

Fungal bezoars may be a cause of urinary tract obstruction and acute renal failure in neonates and young infants. We describe a female very low birth weight infant (25+3 weeks, 795 gram) who developed renal insufficiency on the basis of systemic fungal infection with fungal bezoars in both kidneys. The girl was treated by local irrigation of the kidneys and bladder with amphotericin B via percutaneously inserted bilateral nephrostomy catheters, in combination with intravenous fluconazol. Renal function subsequently improved and after 11 weeks of treatment the bezoars had disappeared sonographically. Follow-up of this child and the one we similarly treated for fungal bezoars before, however, shows suboptimal renal function as assessed by the clearance of creatinine and the mercapto acetyl triglycine scan (MAG III). Until now, insufficient data are available yet to assess with certainly the long-term effects of fungal bezoars on renal function. Based on our experience and a review of the recent literature (1980-1996) on systemic candidal infections in premature infants, we recommend to perform regular renal ultrasound in any case of systemic candidal infection in a prematurely born infant. If candidal bezoars are found with pelvic obstruction, we suggest to start treatment by the insertion of bilateral nephrostomy catheters and local irrigation with amphotericin B in combination with systemic antifungal agents, aiming at both the restoration of renal function and the eradication of the fungal infection.