Purple Urine Bag Syndrome in the Setting of a Percutaneous Nephrostomy: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome (PUBS) is an uncommonly described entity in which purple discoloration of urine can be seen in patients with recurrent urinary tract infection or bacterial colonization. It most commonly affects patients with chronic indwelling foley catheters and those who are chronically debilitated. Reports of PUBS affecting patients with percutaneous nephrostomy tubes are even less common. While the finding is thought to be benign, it is important to recognize, as it can understandably cause concern amongst patients and health care workers alike, and may lead to unnecessary workup and treatment. We thus present the following case and review of this rare phenomenon in a patient with a percutaneous nephrostomy tube.