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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Removal of an Intravesical Gellhorn Pessary and Staged Repair of a Residual Large Vesico-Vaginal Fistula
Published on: April 14, 2026
[Role of complementary tests in the management of colo-vesical fistulae]
Objective:
Colo-vesical fistulas (CVF) are a complication of inflammatory or neoplastic diseases of the lesser pelvis. Although the clinical diagnosis is obvious in the presence of pneumaturia or faecaluria, a number of patients require complementary diagnostic and/or pretreatment investigations. The objective of this study was to analyse the management of these patients in order to define the place and cost-effectiveness of complementary investigations.
Material And Methods:
This retrospective study was based on 37 patients with a colo-vesical fistula, secondary to sigmoid diverticulitis in 60% of cases.
Results:
Cystoscopy was the most cost-effective examination for the diagnosis of CVF with a sensitivity of 94%. The preoperative assessment of CVF and the underlying disease was optimally performed by a combination of cystoscopy, opaque enema and CT.
Conclusions:
Our study defined the place of the various examinations in the assessment of colo-vesical fistula, but the value of magnetic resonance imaging, not performed in this series, remains to be defined.
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