Diagnosis and treatment of enterovesical fistula

The records of 24 patients with enterovesical fistula treated at the urology sections of Telemark and Vestfold Central Hospitals are presented. Most fistulas were due to diverticulitis or a malignant tumor. The part of the intestine most frequently affected was the sigmoid colon in 14 patients, the rectum in 3, the cecum in 2 and the small intestine in 2. Of the 21 patients operated on, 12 underwent a one-stage procedure with resection of the fistula and primary anastomosis of the intestine. The postoperative course was uneventful for 16 patients. Recurrence of the fistula occurred in 1 patient. Three patients were conservatively treated. We recommend a one-stage operation for patients in a good general operating condition, with a well-organized fistula and no systemic infection.