Background and purpose: The choice of antifungal agent in treatment of Candida urinary tract infections (CUTI) is dependent on the site of infection, the underlying disease of the patient, and the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of the agent. This study aimed to perform a review of antifungal therapy for CUTI.

Materials and methods: Data was obtained by a search for full-text articles in Medline, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Magiran, Irandoc, and Iran Medex published from 1994 until 2016. The search keywords included urinary tract infections, Candida species, diagnosis, and treatment.

Results: Fluconazole is the drug of choice for prophylaxis and treatment of CUTI due to low toxicity, high solubility, and wide tissue distribution. Although flucytosine is concentrated in urine and has potent activity against Candida species, treatment is restricted because of its toxicity and expansion of resistance when it is used alone. In addition, amphotericin B is an active drug against most Candida species (except resistant C. krusei strains). Other azoles and echinocandins are not effective for treating CUTI due to the minimum excretion of the active compound into the urine. However, a localized renal infection followed by blood spreading might be treated by echinocandins because of its effective tissue concentrations.

Conclusion: We presented diagnostic tests and treatment protocols of CUTI, but new surveillance protocols and diagnostic strategies for control and prevention of CUTI in critically ill patients are essential.