Initial case of spontaneous gastrocutaneous fistula following nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug treatment: a case report

Spontaneous fistulization of a gastric perforation to the skin is an extremely rare condition whose pathophysiology and etiology remain difficult to explain, especially since histological examination did not find any cancer cells. A-45 year-old male of Black African descent, residing in a rural area, was admitted to the General Reference Hospital with a spontaneous gastrocutaneous fistula. The history revealed the intake of nonsteroidal anti-¡inflammatory drugs for pain from a chronic foot wound. After imaging exploration (ultrasound, then computed tomography scan) proved noncontributory, an exploratory laparotomy confirmed a crater on the anterior surface of the gastric antrum leading to the skin, resembling a surgical gastrostomy; there was no mass or sign of peritoneal carcinosis. An atypical gastrectomy confirmed the benign clinical picture. The interest of this observation lies in its unusual character and encourages etiopathogenic research through the literature.