It’s Complicated: A Case Report of a Patient with Colo-cutaneous Fistula connected to the Appendiceal Stump

ABSTRACT

@#INTRODUCTION: Colo-cutaneous fistula is a very rare complication of colonic diverticular disease, occurring in approximately one percent of cases either spontaneously or after surgical or drainage procedure. Herein we describe a patient with a colo-cutaneous fistula from the sigmoid to the appendiceal stump in a post-appendectomy patient which also exits to the skin at the post-operative site. CASE PRESENTATION The patient is a 76-year-old Filipino male who had appendectomy five months earlier and a history of diverticulitis, and presented with a subcutaneous abscess at the post-operative site. The abscess was drained, a colocutaneous fistula was radiographically established, and the surgical site was explored. Intraoperative findings showed the presence of multiple colonic diverticuli and a sigmoidcutaneous fistula on the right lower abdominal quadrant. Interestingly, an incidental descending colon mass was also noted at the splenic flexure measuring approximately 2x3 cm to which frozen section revealed adenocarcinoma which was not seen in pre-operative CT scans. An extended left hemicolectomy was performed, and no postoperative complications were noted. At present three years later, he fares well without any signs and symptoms of the disease. CONCLUSION: Diverticulitis is a common condition in the older age group that needs to be considered in patient management. Colo-cutaneous fistula may be a rare complication of the disease but should be part of our differentials as internists in working up patients presenting with persistently draining superficial wound that either occurs spontaneously or post-operatively. Patients with diverticulitis also have increased risk of colorectal cancer and diagnostic imaging may not always differentiate the two entities, thus colonoscopy should be done if possible.