Vesico-sigmoidal fistulas. Evaluation of the diagnostic performance of the complementary tests in our series

We analyzed 14 cases of colovesical fistula that had been diagnosed and treated at the urology and gastroenterology and general surgery services of our hospital from 1986-1990. In 85.7% of the cases, the fistula had been caused by a tumor (adenocarcinoma of the colon) and in 14.3% by inflammatory disease (diverticulitis of the colon). All patients presented a varying degree of micturition syndrome; 30% had pneumaturia and 40% fecaluria. Cystoscopy proved to be the most effective in diagnosing colovesical fistula. It permitted visualization of the fistula or passage of fecal material to the bladder in 33% of the cases, while indirect endoscopic signs could be observed in 100%. Furthermore, it permitted the anatomopathological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the colon in 5 cases. We performed one-stage en bloc radical surgery in 57% of the cases, shotgun barrel discharge colostomy in 2 cases, exploration laparotomy in 3 and treatment was withheld in 1 case. The overall survival for the group submitted to radical surgery was 19.5 +/- 8.0 months. There were 4 deaths from metastasis, 2 from sepsis originating in the abdomen and the remaining deaths were due to iliofemoral venous thrombosis, cardiovascular disease and pneumopathy.