Gastro-colic fistula: rare complication of gastric cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Gastrocolic fistula (GCF) is a rare complication of both benign and malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. In the past 20 years, with the extensive use of proton pump inhibitors, GCFs are less frequently encountered as a complication of benign gastric ulcers, and the most common etiology of GCF is now malignant gastrointestinal disease, particularly locally invasive colonic and gastric carcinoma. In the Western Countries, the most common cause is the adenocarcinoma of the colon, while in Japan, adenocarcinoma of the stomach is the most frequent cause. It seldom appears, as a complication of a benign peptic ulcer, in Crohn’s disease and as a result of significant intake of steroids or NSAIDs.