Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: A Case Report

Received: November 10, 2012
Accepted: March 11, 2013
Ref: Gandhi K. Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: A Case Report. Internet J Med Update. 2013 Jul;8(2):65-66.

Kunal Gandhi MD

Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

(Corresponding Author: Dr. Kunal Gandhi, Department of General Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Attavar, Mangalore 575001, Karnataka, India; Phone: +917760468683; Email: kunalgandhi85@live.com)

ABSTRACT

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is an uncommon phenomenon reported mostly in chronically constipated, institutionalized females on an indwelling catheter. It can often cause tremendous distress among health care providers. Though the condition is generally described as benign, it should draw immediate attention to the possibility of an underlying urinary tract infection. The sequential chemical reactions involving tryptophan from food in the gut is hypothesized as the mechanism for the event. We present a case of this unusual and interesting phenomenon with a brief discussion on PUBS.

KEY WORDS: Purple urine bag syndrome; Tryptophan metabolism; Urinary tract infection, Indigo, Indirubin pigment

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