Enterovesical fistula and acute pyelonephritis in renal transplantation. Role of ultrasound

Abstract

The enterovesical fistula is a communication between the urinary tract and the colon and is a rare complication of various inflammatory and cancer diseases. The most frequent cause is represented by diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon and less frequently from Crohn's disease, tumors of the colon and bladder, trauma, radiation therapy and appendicitis. In this report we describe the occurrence of an enterovesical fistula in a patient with renal allograft from a cadaveric donor, which onsetted with signs of acute pyelonephritis and pneumaturia due to diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon, clinically silent. The ultrasound in the diagnosis of enterovesical fistula, yet with a minor role compared to computed tomography (CT), is fundamental being always the first level examination.