Purple Urine Bag Syndrome in a Patient with an Ileal Conduit and Clostridium Difficile Infection

C Sadler; C F Brewer; T Khan; N Murch

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome in a Patient with an Ileal Conduit and Clostridium Difficile Infection

Acute Med. 2019;18(4):251-254.

Authors

C Sadler¹, C F Brewer², T Khan³, N Murch⁴

Affiliations

¹ MBBS BSc, Imperial College London.
² MBBS, MBiochem, Imperial College London.
³ MRCP, BSC (Hons), Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine, Acute Medicine Unit, University College Hospital, Euston Rd, Fitzrovia, London, NW1 2BU.
⁴ FRCP, Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine & Clinical Lead, Acute Medicine Unit, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London, NW3 2QG.

PMID: 31912058

Abstract

Purple urine bag syndrome is a potentially alarming phenomenon caused by bacterial metabolism of urinary tryptophan into indigo (blue) and indirubin (red) pigments. We report the case of a 46-year-old female with an ileal conduit who presented with a 2 week history of abdominal pain and purple discolouration of her urine. In addition, we review the literature on purple urine bag syndrome, and identify potential new risk factors and management considerations.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Clostridium Infections* / complications
Clostridium Infections* / diagnosis
Color
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Syndrome
Tryptophan* / metabolism
Urinary Catheterization
Urinary Diversion*
Urinary Tract Infections* / complications
Urinary Tract Infections* / diagnosis
Urine*

Substances

Tryptophan