[Acquired enterovesical fistulas]

We report on 23 patients with acquired vesicoenteric fistula treated during the past 12 years: 48% of these were of inflammatory etiology (11 cases), 35% were caused by neoplasms (8 cases) and 17% were iatrogenic (4 cases). The most frequent symptoms were pneumaturia and fecaluria (78% of cases). Cystoscopy was the most useful diagnostic procedure in detecting fistula (13 of 18 cases). Other imaging techniques, though less effective for diagnosis, were useful in assessing the status of the GI tract and, at times, in determining the etiology of the fistulae. Treatment depends on the etiology, localization and patient general condition. The technique most frequently applied in our series was resection of the fistulous tract, together with the compromised intestinal segment, and bladder suture.