Retrograde invasion of the kidneys may lead to papillary necrosis. Usual candiduria often resolves with changing the indwelling catheter. Candida infection is associated with abscess formation, granulocytic vasculitis and meningitis. Analysis of CSF usually demonstrates moderate increase in neutrophils and mononuclear cells. Intratecal administration of amphotericin B has been used with some success.
Pulmonary involvement is usually blood borne.
Candida cholecystitis has a high mortality rate, and may extend into hepatosplenic infection in neutropenic patients secondary to aplastic anemia and acute leukemia. Splenectomy has been recommended as a curative treatment for isolated splenic infections if there is no response to medical therapy. Antifungal treatment is the first line of treatment followed by removal of the catheter. Diagnosis Candida is a part of normal flora and is often isolated from the urine, sputum and stool as a contaminant. Serologic tests such as determination of complement-fixing antibody titer are useful in diagnosis of the candidiasis.