Pancreatitis Presenting as a Colonic Fistula

A case of colonic stenosis and fistula into the surrounding tissues turned out to be due to pancreatitis. It was treated successfully by proximal colostomy and, three weeks later, resection. A review of previous cases reported in the literature revealed that the patient was unusual in that rarely have the colonic obstruction symptoms been the presenting ones and in none of the other cases was the primary diagnosis colonic carcinoma.