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Colobronchial fistula: a late complication of childhood radiotherapy

G C MacKay1, J Howells, F W Poon

  • 1Department of Radiology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Queen Elizabeth Building, 16 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow G31 2ER, Scotland, UK.

The British Journal of Radiology
|February 21, 2006
PubMed

Insights

A rare colobronchial fistula, a connection between the colon and bronchial tree, is presented in a 41-year-old man. Previous infant radiotherapy for nephroblastoma is the suspected cause of this unusual condition.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology and Pulmonology
  • Oncology
  • Radiotherapy

Background:

  • A 41-year-old male patient with a history of infant radiotherapy for nephroblastoma presented with an unexplained medical condition.
  • The patient underwent a barium enema for diagnostic purposes.

Observation:

  • The barium enema revealed an abnormal connection, a fistula, between the patient's colon and bronchial tree.
  • This colobronchial fistula represents a rare clinical presentation.

Findings:

  • Surgical intervention in the form of a right hemicolectomy was performed.
  • Pathological examination of the resected colon segment did not reveal any active disease process that could account for the fistula's formation.

Implications:

  • The findings suggest that the patient's prior exposure to radiotherapy for nephroblastoma in infancy is the most likely etiological factor for the colobronchial fistula.
  • This case highlights a potentially underreported long-term complication of childhood cancer treatment.
  • Further investigation into radiotherapy-induced fistulas may be warranted.

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