A fistula (plural: fistulae or fistulas) is an abnormal connection between two epithelial surfaces such as between hollow organs, skin or vessels. Conventionally, the name of a specific fistula type is a combination of the two organs. For discussions of specific fistulae please refer to individual articles.
On this page:
Terminology
The formation of a fistula may be referred to as fistulation or fistulisation, both terms are equally valid 2.
Pathology
Etiology
A wide variety of etiologies are implicated:
- congenital
- acquired
-
iatrogenic
- surgical
- sometimes the fistula creation is deliberate, e.g. mucous fistula, arteriovenous fistula for dialysis
- radiotherapy
- surgical
- post inflammatory e.g. Crohn disease, pancreatitis, diverticulitis
- infection
- post-traumatic
- secondary to a foreign body
- malignancy
-
iatrogenic
Types
Various types of fistula have been described, please keep these lists in alphabetical order:
- GIT
- cholecystocolic fistula
- cholecystoduodenal fistula
- choledochocolic fistula
- choledochoduodenal fistula
- coloduodenal fistula
- coloenteric fistula
- colovaginal fistula
- colovesical fistula
- enterocutaneous fistula
- enteroenteric fistula
- fistula-in-ano (perianal fistula)
- gastrocolic fistula
- gastrointestinal fistula
- gastropericardial fistula
- gastropleural fistula
- mucous fistula
- esophagopleural fistula
- pancreaticopleural fistula
- rectovaginal fistula
- renocolic fistula
- renoenteric fistula
- vascular
- breast
- urogenital
- pulmonary
- cardiac
- head and neck
History and etymology
From the Latin, fistula means tube or pipe 1.
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