A Food Debris-Like Component in the Urine Sediment From a Urostomy Pouch

Microscopic examination of urine sediment is a basic, common method of detecting diseases of the urinary tract. We experienced a case involving a patient who had developed a fever after undergoing a urinary-diversion operation. Results of the microscopic examination of the urine collected from the urostomy pouch of the patient showed a food debris-like component. Based on this finding, we suspected a fistula between the urinary and intestinal tracts. However, after performing an experiment to verify the results, we determined that no fistula was present. Instead, we discovered that the food debris-like component originated from the urostomy skin barrier. To our knowledge, ours is the first report in the literature to demonstrate that the urostomy skin barrier can dissolve and mimic food debris in urine sediment, leading to incorrect assumptions regarding the presence of fistulas. We believe that it is important to derive a correct diagnosis when an unfamiliar component is observed in urinary sediment. We further believe that the findings from this case are valuable to professionals who administer clinical treatment and perform laboratory testing.