Burrowing of urinary bladder wall by the tip of a size 22 Fr silicone foley catheter in an adult male patient with multiple sclerosis and suprapubic cystostomy: should caution be exercised in using a size 22 Fr silicone foley catheter for long-term drainage of neuropathic bladder?

INTRODUCTION: Silicone Foley catheters tend to become stiffer as size of the catheter increases. Whereas the tip of a size 12 French silicone, Foley catheter is soft and flexible, a size 24 French silicone, Foley catheter is distinctly stiff. Chronically inflamed neuropathic bladders are susceptible to perforation by the tip of a Foley catheter. We report a patient with multiple sclerosis and moderately severe chronic cystitis, in whom a size 22 French Foley catheter burrowed through the dome of urinary bladder. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old, Caucasian male suffering from multiple sclerosis underwent suprapubic cystostomy in January 2007. Initially, a size 16 Fr. silicone, Foley, catheter was inserted. During subsequent catheter changes, silicone Foley catheters of progressively increasing sizes were inserted and in July 2007, a size 22 Fr. catheter was used in order to prevent blockages and consequent bypassing of urine. In April 2008, he had an uneventful change of suprapubic catheter; but a week later, this patient developed profuse bypassing. On examination, suprapubic catheter contained fresh blood; there was hardly any urine in the leg bag, which was attached to suprapubic catheter. Cystogram showed localised extravasation of contrast on the superior aspect of urinary bladder around the tip of Foley catheter, which protruded beyond the dome of urinary bladder. The size 22 Fr. catheter was removed and a size 20 Fr silicone, Foley, catheter was inserted ensuring that the tip of catheter pointed towards bladder neck. This patient received gentamicin intravenously and he was prescribed ciprofloxacin for five days. He did not develop temperature or other features of sepsis. Bypassing stopped completely. CONCLUSION: In this patient, bladder biopsy had shown moderately severe chronic inflammation and congestion. We learn from this case that we should have used a smaller size catheter, which has a softer texture and changed the catheter at shorter intervals rather than insert a larger bore catheter, and run the risk of perforation of neuropathic bladder by the tip of a stiff Foley catheter.