Vesicocolonic fistulas in diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is a disease affecting patients in the fifth to sixth decades. The charts of 12 patients with cesicocolonic fistulas secondary to diverticulitis were reviewed. Their presentation was primarily urological with pneumaturia present in 10 of 12 patients and fecaluria present in 5 of 12. The process of fistulization occurs in stages. If the incipient stage can be identified early fistulization can be prevented and the morbidity and mortality rates will be reduced significantly. In older patients with bladder irritation (with or without positive urine cultures) a high degree of suspicion for diverticular disease will ensure an accurate diagnosis earlier. Patients with penumaturia or fecaluria present less of a diagnostic challenge. Cystoscopy is a reliable procedure and we recommend its use in discovering a vesicocolonic fistula. Surgical therapy should be individualized for each patient and good results were obtained with primary resection as well as staged repair.