[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.