Treatment of small intestinal fistulas with octreotide, a somatostatin analog

Three patients with external small bowel fistulas were successfully treated with bowel rest, total parenteral nutrition, and the somatostatin analog, octreotide. Two of the patients had received prior multimodality therapy, including radiation, for gynecologic cancer. The time intervals to fistula closure were 2 days, 10 days, and 5 weeks after initiation of octreotide therapy. The efficacy of octreotide combined with total parenteral nutrition in the treatment of external enteric fistulas supports its routine use, especially in previously irradiated patients.