Spontaneous closure of ureterocolic fistula secondary to diverticulitis

Abstract

An 88-year-old woman with spontaneous closure of a ureterocolic fistula secondary to sigmoid diverticulitis is described. Initially, the patient was subjected to proximal transverse colostomy to divert the fecal stream. She was rehospitalized for a sigmoid colectomy, and left ureteral catheterization as well as a retrograde pyelogram showed spontaneous closure of the ureterocolic fistula. A review of the literature reveals that specific involvement of the ureter secondary to inflammatory bowel disease is rare. Most of the cases reported previously have alluded to active and radical measures. We do not recommend a radical resection in the acute stage, especially when the tissue planes may be obliterated owing to inflammation and difficulty in structure identification may lead to inadvertent injury.