Salmonella Oranienburg haemorrhagic cystitis in an immunocompetent young male

Introduction. Non-typhoidal salmonella (NTS) bacteriuria is extremely rare. Haemorrhagic cystitis is defined by urinary symptoms including haematuria, frequency, urgency and dysuria. Reports of haemorrhagic cystitis caused by NTS are exceptionally uncommon, especially in immunocompetent, young, male patients. Case presentation. A 27-year-old male with no past medical history presented to the Emergency Department with a 24 h history of visible haematuria having returned five days earlier from a five month trip across South America. He also reported one week of suprapubic pain with associated dysuria, frequency, difficulty voiding and fevers. A non-contrast abdominal and pelvic CT scan showed a grossly thick-walled bladder with marked peri-vesical stranding, strongly suggestive of cystitis, with an unremarkable appearance of the remainder of the urinary tract. Urine culture at presentation subsequently grew Salmonella Oranienburg. The patient reported total symptomatic relief following just one week of oral antibiotics with no recurrence to date. Conclusion. NTS urinary tract infection (UTI), especially in healthy young people, is very rare. In such cases, the existence of underlying diseases must be considered, especially diabetes mellitus, urological abnormalities and immunosuppression. However, a diagnosis of NTS UTI should also be among the differentials in those presenting with acute urinary symptoms preceded by gastrointestinal upset, especially following travel in underdeveloped countries. Antibiotic therapy is invariably indicated and close follow-up is warranted due to the risk of several potentially serious complications.