fistula

fistula, abnormal duct or passageway between organs. Fistulas can form between various parts of the body, including between the uterus and the peritoneal cavity (metroperitoneal, or uteroperitoneal, fistula), between an artery and a vein (arteriovenous fistula), between the bronchi and the pleural space of the lung (bronchopleural fistula), between the intestines and the vagina (enterovaginal fistula), between the urinary tract and the vagina (vesicovaginal fistula), and between the stomach and the skin surface (gastric fistula). Vesicovaginal fistula, as well as rectovaginal fistula (a passageway between the rectum and the vagina), are classified as types of obstetric fistula.

Fistulas may be described as complete, in which there are internal and external openings, or incomplete, in which there is an external opening and no internal opening. A blind fistula is one in which two structures are connected, but with an opening on only one end; thus a blind fistula may also be an incomplete fistula. Horseshoe fistulas run between the anus and the skin surface, connecting the two via a passageway that curves around the rectum.

Fistulas may be caused by wounds, congenital disorders, vascular disease, abscesses, infection, or surgery. Tuberculosis may cause bronchopleural fistulas or anal fistulas. In addition, anal fistulas sometimes occur as complications of serious bowel diseases, as in Crohn disease, or as a result of certain parasitic diseases. Some patients with Crohn disease develop fistulas connecting the bowel to the bladder or the vagina; these channels often lead to abscesses. Fistulas are a microscopic finding that helps physicians to distinguish Crohn disease from ulcerative colitis, the other type of inflammatory bowel disease. Obstetric fistulas frequently occur as a result of complications that arise during labour and cause a prolonged decrease in blood supply to the vagina and bladder or rectum. They occur also as a result of physical trauma sustained during sexual violence.

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Symptoms of fistula vary depending on location. Fistulas involving the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, or vagina may produce symptoms of diarrhea, bladder or bowel incontinence, dehydration, or abdominal pain. Symptoms of bronchopleural fistulas include cough and the production of yellowish or greenish sputum (purulent sputum). Arteriovenous fistula is associated with an aching pain in or beyond the area of the defect. Affected persons may have puffy legs that show distended veins, and a continuous heart murmur is often present, which may help in diagnosing and locating the fistula.

Although some fistulas may close on their own, others, including those involving the anus, bladder, or vagina, typically require surgical repair. Anal fistulas are often repaired through a procedure called fistulotomy, in which the passageway of the fistula is opened and combined with the anal canal. Fistulas of the vagina can be repaired by intravaginal surgery; in severe cases, reconstructive surgery is necessary to rebuild damaged tissues. Fibrin glue, which is typically made from the patient’s blood (autologous fibrin glue) and contains the clotting proteins fibrinogen and thrombin, is sometimes used to plug anal, gastrointestinal, and lung fistulas. Fibrin glue can be made from a donor’s plasma; however, the risk of disease transmission limits the utility of this approach. Untreated fistulas are associated with an increased risk for complications, including infection, skin irritation, kidney disease, ulcer, malnutrition, dehydration, incontinence, and neurological disease.