P133 Post-COVID-19 recurrent fungal urinary tract infections: A case series

POSTER SESSION 1, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has opened a pandora's box of opportunistic infections and immune alteration. We hereby present a series of patients with recurrent fungal urinary tract infections triggered by an episode of COVID-19. DESCRIPTION: Case 1: A 66-year-old male, diabetic, known chronic kidney disease, had moderate COVID-19 in September 2020 needing remdesivir and steroids; 2 months later, he was treated for a fungal UTI elsewhere. In May 2021, he presented with right-sided pyelonephritis, hydroureter, and pyonephrosis. DJ stenting was done and cultures grew C. tropicalis. Record of anti-fungal susceptibility from the fluconazole resistance and was hence treated with 21 days of micafungin with significant improvement. Despite 3 weeks of directed anti-fungal treatment, he had recurrent episodes of candiduria with azotemia. Cystoscopy and selective sampling yielded C. tropicalis from the right pelvi-calyceal system, but as he was unwilling for nephrostomy and local antibiotic instillation he was started on anidulafungin and long-term 5-flucytosine suppression. Case 2: A 61-year-old male, diabetic, with uncontrolled sugars, had severe COVID-19 in September 2020 needing oxygen, remdesivir, and steroids; 1 month later, presented with right-sided flank pain and four episodes of painless passage of fleshy tissue per urethra in the last 1 year (Fig. 2). He had multiple episodes of bacterial UTIs which were treated, with complete resolution. The fleshy mass showed septate fungal elements and culture grew Aspergillus flavus sensitive to voriconazole, itraconazole, and posaconazole. He received multiple prolonged courses of voriconazole and caspofungin prior to presenting to us. CT revealed right-sided pyelonephritis with dilated pelvi-calyceal system. The patient was started on 2 weeks of micafungin followed by a prolonged course of voriconazole and 5-flucytosine with close clinical and therapeutic drug monitoring. Case 3: A 68-year-old female, diabetic, had moderate COVID-19 in April 2021, and was given remdesivir and steroids. She was admitted 1 month later with UTI (Pyelonephritis with early forming renal abscess) with urine culture growing CR Klebsiella p. (OXA-48) and C. glabrata for which she was given ceftazidime-A, vibactam, and voriconazole and underwent bilateral DJ stenting followed by stent removal after 1 month along with switching to micafungin in view of repeated candiduria on treatment. She has developed multiple UTIs in the subsequent months with C. auris being isolated twice and bacterial UTIs, treated with antibiotics and micafungin. Subsequent CT revealed retroperitoneal fibrosis encasing the ureters causing obstruction, a biopsy was inconclusive but was empirically started on methotrexate for IgG4 disease. DISCUSSION: The proposed immune alteration mechanism of COVID-19 of decreased phagocytic function, uncontrolled sugars, and steroid-related neutrophil dysfunction predisposes to several opportunistic infections including fungal infections. It is intriguing that these patients with refractory funguria never underwent any instrumentation The challenges associated with the management of these cases included deranged renal functions precluding the use of intravenous contrast for imaging and several anti-fungal drugs; inadequate urinary penetration of antifungals especially with deranged renal functions and hesitancy with local instillation of antibiotics, and the need for repeated surgical intervention including insertion of stents in an infected urinary tract.