Colocutaneous fistula as a complication of PEG tube placement

Individuals with prolonged swallowing difficulties may require enteral supplementation to maintain a healthy nutritional status. Until the advent of the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube in 1980, feeding was usually accomplished by a nasogastric feeding tube. The initial insertion of a PEG tube requires endoscopic or radiologic guidance but has the advantages of being easy to care for and being a permanent or temporary access site for enteral nutrition. Complications associated with PEG tube placement are relatively infrequent. We present a case of a percutaneous fistula as a rare complication associated with reinsertion of a PEG tube.