Abstract
A man in his 68 underwent low anterior resection for Ra rectal cancer with multiple hepatic metastases. His postoperative course was uneventful, and modified fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) treatment for the hepatic metastases was initiated in the first month after the operation. Abdominal computed tomography for the evaluation of the treatment effect at the end of 3 courses of chemotherapy revealed air bubbles produced in succession from the anastomotic site within a soft-tissue shadow in the presacral region. Fluoroscopic and endoscopic examinations of the lower gastrointestinal tract revealed fistula formation on the anastomotic suture line of the rectum, which led to a diagnosis of late suture failure. Because the patient abstained from food and received central venous nutrition therapy for a week, the fistula closed, and the air bubbles disappeared. Chemotherapy was restarted after a one-month washout period.
