2024 Volume 49 Issue 6 Pages 512-515
Rectovaginal fistula is a relatively rare complication after rectal cancer surgery. In this study, we report a case of rectovaginal fistula following rectal cancer surgery that was successfully treated with estriol vaginal tablets. A 70-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic low anterior resection and temporary ileocolostomy for rectal cancer (Rb). Following postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, a rectovaginal fistula was identified during proctography. Moreover, CT scan revealed pulmonary metastasis. We prioritized surgery for the lung metastasis and initiated treatment with estriol vaginal tablets for the rectovaginal fistula. After the pulmonary metastasis surgery, another proctography showed the disappearance of the fistula. Estriol vaginal tablets may facilitate the spontaneous healing of rectovaginal fistula by restoring vaginal self-cleaning post-menopause, enhancing inflammatory resistance via increased blood flow around the uterus and vagina and promoting thickening of the muscle layer.
