Persistent ischiorectal fistula with supralevator origin secondary to a chronic tubo-ovarian abscess: report of a case and review of the literature

Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg. 2012 Jan-Feb;18(1):66-7. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0b013e31823bdbe2.

Abstract

Background: Chronic tubo-ovarian abscess is an uncommon finding in postmenopausal women. This abscess may rupture or fistulize to adjacent organs into the ischiorectal space.

Case: A gravida three, para three, postmenopausal woman with extensive sigmoid diverticulosis presented with perianal fistula of 2 years' duration. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the tract to have a supralevator origin adjacent to the sigmoid colon. She had no recent instrumentation other than preoperative colonoscopy. Intraoperatively, the fistula tract origin was noted to be from a right tubo-ovarian abscess. She was treated with right salpingo-oophorectomy and tract excision/sealing. At 4-month follow-up, the fistula tract was healed with no further drainage.

Conclusions: Tubo-ovarian abscess should be considered in the differential diagnosis of supralevator fistula in postmenopausal women when no other source can be localized.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Abscess / complications*
  • Aged
  • Cutaneous Fistula / etiology*
  • Cutaneous Fistula / surgery
  • Fallopian Tube Diseases / complications*
  • Female
  • Fistula / etiology*
  • Fistula / surgery
  • Humans
  • Ovarian Diseases / complications*
  • Ovariectomy
  • Salpingectomy