Colovesical fistula in men with chronic urinary tract infection: A diagnostic challenge

Abstract

Although uncommon, colovesical fistula creates significant morbidity, and many patients wait months to receive a correct diagnosis and treatment. Most cases are in older men who have diverticular disease, Crohn disease, cancer, or iatrogenic injury, and some of these associations may have occurred in the patient's distant past and may not be immediately apparent. Since the incidence of diverticulitis in elderly patients is increasing and, in a separate trend, more patients are undergoing bladder instrumentation, we need to suspect this diagnosis when evaluating any patient with urinary tract infection, especially a man with prolonged symptoms refractory to conventional treatments.