ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the pathogenesis and the spectrum of clinical manifestations of fungal urinary tract infections, with a special emphasis placed on various therapeutic approaches. Fungal infections of the urinary tract encompass a broad variety of fungi, including the endemic mycoses, Cryptococcus species, and opportunistic pathogens such as Aspergillus species. However, the overwhelming majority of fungal infections of the urinary tract are caused by Candida spp. The urinary tract is also susceptible to infection by another group of fungi, namely the endemic fungi including Histoplasma, Blastomyces, and Coccidioides spp. However, these pathogens are rarely responsible for the common clinical syndromes of urethritis, cystitis, and pyelonephritis. Instead, they occasionally cause prostatitis, epididymitis, chronic bladder inflammation or ulceration, ureteric obstruction, and chronic renal disease.
