Guided tour of hidden tracts in the pelvis: exploring pelvic fistulas.

BACKGROUND: Fistulas are an abnormal connection between two or more epithelial surfaces. When fistulization between adjacent structures occurs in the pelvis, there is almost invariably significant associated morbidity and impact on a patient's quality of life. Imaging may aid in the diagnosis of pelvic fistulas and is essential to identify any associated pathology, define the course of the fistula, and aid in pre-surgical planning. PURPOSE: This article aims to review the wide array of clinical and imaging presentations of fistulas in the pelvis, with a focus on the radiologists' role in managing this challenging entity. METHODS: This article will review each classification type of fistula. RESULTS: Pelvic fistula is a devastating condition that causes significant morbidity and evaluation can be challenging. CONCLUSIONS: Imaging, and particularly MRI, plays a vital role in the diagnosis, characterizing the course of a fistula and demonstrating associated complications, which are essential to guide treatment decisions.

Pelvic floor ultrasound findings in Ugandan women with obstetric fistula, unrepaired fourth degree obstetric tear, and pelvic organ prolapse.

BACKGROUND: While pelvic floor ultrasound is commonly utilised in high-resource locations, our understanding of pelvic floor characteristics in women suffering with obstetric fistula and unrepaired fourth degree obstetric tears in low-resource areas is limited. AIMS: This study aimed to assess the pelvic floor ultrasound characteristics of Ugandan women suffering with obstetric fistula, unrepaired fourth degree obstetric tears and pelvic organ prolapse, and determine whether obstructed labour resulting in obstetric fistula causes more levator muscle defects compared to parous women without a history of obstructed labour. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study in western Uganda assessing 82 women with obstetric fistula, unrepaired fourth degree obstetric tears and pelvic organ prolapse with a pelvic floor ultrasound scan. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics were significantly different, with women suffering pelvic organ prolapse being older and more parous. Hiatal area on Valsalva was significantly smaller in the obstetric fistula group (mean 21.45 cm2 ) compared to non-obstetric fistula group (unrepaired fourth degree obstetric tears and pelvic organ prolapse; mean 30.44 cm2 ); a mean difference of 9.0 cm2 (95% CI: 5.4-12.6 cm2 , P < 0.001). Overall, levator muscle defects were significantly more common in women with obstetric fistula (66.7%) compared to the non-obstetric fistula group (44.7%) with P = 0.048; however, there were no significant differences in complete levator muscle defects between obstetric fistula (28.6%) and non-obstetric fistula (23.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Increased hiatal area on Valsalva was noted in the non-obstetric fistula group compared to women with obstetric fistula; however, there were no differences in proportions of complete levator muscle defects.

Minimally invasive surgical treatment on delayed uretero-vaginal fistula.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the procedure of endoscopic surgery for ureterovaginal fistula (UVF) and its clinical efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 46 patients needing treatment for UVF with endourology technology was conducted (all patients had unilateral ureteric injury, 27 left and 19 right). Transurethral retrograde ureteric stenting or realignment retrograde/antegrade approach stenting was used to treat the fistula, and the relation between treatment and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: One case failed, the patient undergoing percutaneous nephrostomy instead. Success was achieved in 45 cases, and urinary leakage was stopped 48 h after surgery. Of the 45 patients operated on, 16 had their double-J stents removed after 3-6 months, and 29 needed replacement every 6-12 months. In a postoperative follow-up of 6-36 months, 10 patients had recurrent stenosis needing ureteroscopic endoureterotomy or reexpansion with a balloon. No other complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic surgery is an effective technology in the treatment of UVF, with the advantages of being effective, reliable, less invasive, and readily accepted by patients.

Post-traumatic bony impingement into vagina: a rare cause of urethrovaginal fistula.

A 22-year-old woman met with road traffic accident 6 months back following which she underwent exploratory laparotomy with intraperitoneal bladder rupture repair. She presented with urethrovaginal fistula due to a fragment of fractured pubic bone impinging into the anterior vaginal wall. The findings were confirmed on CT scan and cystoscopy. The patient was managed with removal of the bony spicule and transvaginal repair of urethrovaginal fistula with Martius fat pad interposition.

A Case of Mesh Erosion to the Sigmoid After Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy and a Literature Review of Mesh Related Complications.

Sacrocolpopexy has long been the preferred surgical procedure for the management of apical vaginal prolapse. The published literature regarding rectal mesh erosion after sacrocolpopexy includes only 6 cases in MEDLINE. We report a case of sigmoid vaginal fistula identified 4 years after laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, along with an analysis of the follow-up of 140 patients over 12 months or more.

Vaginal tumor-vesical fistula detected by dynamic fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography: A case report.

Preoperative fistulas are rare in patients with bladder mucosa-invading gynecological tumors. This is the first reported case of a vesico-vaginal fistula identified using 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) in a patient with vaginal cancer. A 61-year-old woman with vaginal cancer underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT for assessment of the mass and lymph nodes. Assessment was difficult because overlap of FDG uptake occurred on 18F-FDG-PET/CT images obtained 60min after FDG injection. However, dynamic 18F-FDG-PET/CT clearly indicated the presence of a vaginal tumor-vesical fistula. This case illustrates the usefulness of dynamic 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging when assessing a vesico-vaginal fistula.

CT vaginography: a new CT technique for imaging of upper and middle vaginal fistulas.

OBJECTIVE: Different types of vaginal fistulas is a relatively uncommon condition in the Western world but very frequent in developing countries. In the past, conventional vaginography was the radiological examination of choice for exploring this condition. CT and MRI are now both used for this purpose. Our objective was to test the feasibility and to explore the potential role of a new CT imaging technique implementing vaginal introitus obstruction and opacification of the vagina with iodine contrast agent, to show patency of a fistula. METHODS: We describe the technical protocol of CT-vaginography as performed in Geneva University Hospitals, including vaginal catheterization with a Foley catheter and obstruction of the introitus by inflating the balloon of the catheter. We also report three cases of patients with suspected vaginal fistula who underwent CT-vaginography. RESULTS: The examinations were technically successful. In one patient, it revealed the presence of fistulous pathways from the vaginal fornix along the bilateral infected surgical prostheses. In a second patient, it showed a fistula between the vagina and the necrotic cavity of a recurrent cervical cancer. In a third patient, it proved the absence of a suspected vaginal fistula. CONCLUSION: CT-vaginography is a technically feasible CT protocol that provides anatomical and functional information on clinically suspected vaginal fistulas. Advances in knowledge: After the abandon of conventional vaginography in the era of transaxial imaging, the current modalities of imaging vaginal fistulas provide excellent anatomical detail but less functional information concerning the permeability of a vaginal fistulous pathway. We propose the use of CT-vaginography, a technical protocol that we describe in detail.

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS-URETHROVAGINAL FISTULA CAUSED BY A MIGRATING GRASS AWN IN THE VAGINA.

A young intact female dog was presented with urinary incontinence. Abdominal ultrasound revealed the presence of hyperechoic linear structures within the cranial vagina suggestive of foreign material. A computed tomography (CT) retrograde vaginourethrogram demonstrated the presence of a fistulous tract between the urethra and vagina. A presumptive diagnosis of urethrovaginal fistula due to migration of foreign material was made. The grass awn was removed with vaginoscopic-guided retrieval. Fourteen days later, surgical repair of the fistula and an ovariohysterectomy were done. This case report emphasizes the usefulness of CT for diagnosis and precise anatomical localization of genitourinary tract fistulas.

The iatrogenic ureterovaginal fistula.

A 46-year-old woman underwent a robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for the treatment of endometriosis. Two weeks postoperatively, she presented with pelvic pain and vaginal drainage. A right ureterovaginal fistula was diagnosed with the assistance of computed tomography (CT) urography and nephrostogram.

Vaginal repair of pouch-vaginal fistula after orthotopic bladder substitution in women.

OBJECTIVE: To report the diagnosis, technique, and treatment outcome of pouch-vaginal fistula (PVF) with particular stress on the vaginal repair. METHODS: Between January 1995 and March 2010, 298 women (mean age, 52 years) underwent orthotopic neobladder reconstruction after radical cystectomy. A standard radical cystectomy was conducted in 283 patients and genitalia-sparing cystectomy in 15. Certain modifications were adopted after 100 patients to prevent chronic urinary retention and PVF. Hautmann or hemi-Kock pouch was used. Patients were oncologically and functionally evaluated and asked about any sexual complaint. Eight PVF (2.7%) were diagnosed by voiding radiography of the pouch and preoperative endoscopy. Transabdominal repair was used in 2 patients(high, large, vaginal atrophy) and the other patients underwent a vaginal repair in nonopposing layers 3 to 6 months after cystectomy. RESULTS: The incidence of PVF was 5 of 100 (5%) before and 3 of 198 (1.5%) after the technical modifications. In one patient, repair of the fistula was conducted in 2 stages. After repair (mean follow-up, 146 months), all repaired patients were continent during daytime and only one had nocturnal incontinence. The urodynamic parameters were comparable to these in other women undergoing orthotopic neobladder reconstruction and not having a fistula. CONCLUSION: Transvaginal repair of PVF is feasible with good functional outcome. It is recommended in low, small fistula and if postmenopausal vaginal atrophy is absent. The repair does not compromise the external urethral sphincter. However, these conclusions need to be consolidated in future studies including a larger number of patients.

Vesicovaginorectal fistula on a FDG PET/CT of a patient with recurrent cervical cancer and end-stage renal disease.

A 59-year-old woman with recurrent cervical cancer and end-stage renal disease was referred for FDG PET/CT for restaging. The patient had hemodialysis for 4 years and radiotherapy 3 years ago and 1 year ago. The PET/CT scan showed recurrent cervical cancer and intense FDG radioactivity in the urinary bladder, with a small air bubble in both the urinary bladder and the vagina. After supine positioning without voiding, the delayed images showed more air bubbles with less FDG activity in the urinary bladder. The vesicovaginorectal fistula was confirmed by surgery.

A new MDCT technique for the detection and anatomical exploration of urogenital fistulas.

OBJECTIVE: We tested a new MDCT technical protocol, combining i.v. and intravesical positive contrast agent and intravaginal neutral contrast agent, that optimizes exploration of urogenital fistulas. We examined three patients (four CT examinations in total) with this technique and proved that a preexisting subtle ureterovaginal fistula that was under treatment was still present, though clinically silent. CONCLUSION: The proposed MDCT examination protocol provides important information to help detect subtle urogenital fistulas.

[Transvaginal repair of neobladder vaginal fistula]. / Riparazione trans-vaginale di fistola neovescico-vaginale.

INTRODUCTION: Neobladder vaginal fistula is a known complication after cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder in women. The exact incidence is still unknown, even if in some of the largest series is reported in about 5% of female patients. We present our personal experience with a case of neobladder vaginal fistula. METHODS: A fifty-year old woman affected by T2G3 bladder cancer underwent radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder in December 2007. Definitive pathological examination revealed pT3aN0G3 urothelial cancer with squamous aspects. Two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were administered before cystectomy. Three weeks after cystectomy, a retrograde cystography revealed a fistula between vagina and neobladder. At first, the patient was treated conservatively, keeping the urethral catheter for two months. Cystographies, repeated every month, recorded a reduction in size of the fistula but not the complete closure. A surgical correction was planned. Preoperative cystoscopy showed the neobladder opening of the fistula on the posterior wall. Then a transvaginal approach with fistula excision and a two layer cross suture were performed. RESULTS: At the cystography performed 1 month after surgical repair no fistula was detected, and the patient was completely dry. At 3 months follow-up the patient was completely dry. CONCLUSION: The development of a neobladder-vaginal fistula is a significant, even if infrequent, complication after cystectomy. In our case, we performed a transvaginal approach without tissue interposition, with good results. Such procedure is easy and effective and, in our opinion, can be tempted as first line surgical treatment.

Cervicovaginal fistula presenting during miscarriage.

Cervicovaginal fistula is a recognized complication of induced mid-trimester termination of pregnancy, but more recently it has also been recognized as representing a complication of prior cervical cerclage. We report the ultrasound findings of prolapse of the amniotic sac through a cervicovaginal fistula in a woman with prior cervical cerclage. A woman with cervical incompetence and prior failed McDonald cerclage presented for prophylactic Shirodkar cerclage. Before the procedure, transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a live intrauterine pregnancy at 14 weeks' gestation. Upon further ultrasound examination, the amniotic sac appeared to protrude through the posterior wall of the cervix into the vaginal vault. Pelvic examination verified prolapse of the amniotic sac through a cervicovaginal fistula. The patient underwent an uncomplicated dilatation and evacuation. Women with a history of cervical cerclage are at risk for the development of cervicovaginal fistula, the detection of which is important to prevent potential morbidity.

Prolonged sterile dysuria as a first presentation of pyocolpos.

Pyocolpos is a rare clinical finding in vaginal atresia, especially in childhood. We present a child with pyocolpos and a long history of severe sterile dysuria before she was admitted to hospital with fever, urinary tract infection, and abdominal mass.

Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging for diagnosis of urethrovaginal fistula.

We present a novel technique for visualization of a urethrovaginal fistula. A 52-year-old patient presented with persistent urinary incontinence, after having three mid-urethral sling procedures performed within the past year. The diagnosis of a urethrovaginal fistula was made by endovaginal 3-D endovaginal ultrasound and confirmed intraoperatively. We have described a novel technique that may benefit patients with urethrovaginal fistulas that are difficult to visualize.

[Surgical complications of the diverticular disease. A rare case of sigmoid-vaginal fistula]. / Le complicanze chirurgiche della malattia diverticolare: un raro caso di fistola sigmoido-vaginale.

The Authors report on a rare case of diverticular disease complicated by a sigmoid- vaginal fistula with personal considerations based on a review of literature. A 75 year old patient becomes to our observation suffering the lost of smelly vaginal secretions without fever or abdominalgia. In anamnesis hysterectomy cholecystectomy appendectomy and visceral adhesions lysis. Colonoscopy RX barium enema, gynaecological examination, vaginal buffer show diverticulis of colon sigma with sigmoid-vaginal fistula. After laparotomy, visceral adhesions lysis, it was done sigmoid- vaginal fistula resection with healing. Diverticular disease is a XX century pathology with incidence (for some authors) of 50% of population. Symptomatic forms affect 30-50% of patients (variable percentage based on age); the 1% of these need surgery. The colonic anatomical-functional disorder is the principal cause of diverticular disease that recognize the main localization in colon-sigma. Diverticulitis with pericolic inflammation are frequent complications; possible evolutions are local tamponed peritonitis, mechanical intestinal occlusion, hemorrhage from colonic wall and fistulas. Sigmoid-vaginal fistula is the most frequent in women previously treated with laparohysterectomy. The colonoscopy and RX barium enema are gold standard for instrumental diagnosis; the vaginography is diriment, urography excludes urological diseases. The surgical treatment is the fistula resection, with or without colonic resection. In consideration of the necessity of conservative surgery and on the basis of this case, the authors suggest, if it's possible, the simple fistula resection, although the literature report an high number of relapses.