Pneumaturia is the passage of
gas
Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).
A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...
or "air" in
urine
Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excretion, excreted from the body through the urethra.
Cel ...
. This may be seen or described as "bubbles in the urine".
Causes
A common cause of pneumaturia is
colovesical fistula (communication between the colon and bladder). These may occur as a complication of
diverticular disease
Diverticular disease is when problems occur due to diverticulosis, a condition defined by the presence of pouches in the wall of the large intestine (diverticula). This includes diverticula becoming inflamed ( diverticulitis) or bleeding. Colonic ...
. Pneumaturia can also happen if a urinary catheter was recently in the bladder.
Other key differentials:
*
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...
*
Carcinoma
Carcinoma is a malignancy that develops from epithelial cells. Specifically, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that arises from cells originating in the endodermal, mesodermal ...
of the
colon or
bladder
The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters ...
* A gas-producing
UTI (
emphysematous cystitis Emphysematous cystitis is a rare type of infection of the bladder wall by gas-forming bacteria or fungi. The most frequent offending organism is ''E. coli''. Other gram negative bacteria, including ''Klebsiella'' and ''Proteus'' are also commonly is ...
: rare).
*Emphysematous pyelonephritis.
Male
scuba divers
This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable.
Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where t ...
utilizing
condom catheters or female divers using a She-p external catching device for their
dry suit
A dry suit or drysuit provides the wearer with environmental protection by way of thermal insulation and exclusion of water, and is worn by divers, boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and others who work or play in or near cold or contaminated ...
s are also susceptible to pneumaturia.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made by patient history of passing air or a sputtering urine stream. CT scans may show air in the urinary bladder or bladder walls.
References
External links
Urological conditions
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