Abstract
Gastrosplenic fistula is an unusual complication of benign as well as malignant gastric and splenic pathologies. This pathology acquires an important clinical significance due to its rare association with life-threatening upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The aim of this article is to review the English-language literature in order to gain a better understanding of etiological factors, diagnostic evaluation, and management of gastrosplenic fistula. The systematic search of the literature was performed on PubMed and MEDLINE from January 1950 to September 2020 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. We retrieved 44 articles matching our selection criteria from the search. There were 3 case series, 37 case reports, and 4 review of the literature. In our appraisal of articles published in PUBMED, a total of 36 cases of malignant and 10 cases of benign gastrosplenic fistula could be identified. Gastrosplenic fistula is an exceptional complication of malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. Lymphomas particularly arising from the spleen are the commonest cause. Gastric adenocarcinoma causing GSF is extremely rare. Most cases occur spontaneously, but at times, it can be secondary to tumour necrosis following chemotherapy.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs13193-022-01551-5/MediaObjects/13193_2022_1551_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs13193-022-01551-5/MediaObjects/13193_2022_1551_Fig2_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs13193-022-01551-5/MediaObjects/13193_2022_1551_Fig3_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Garcia MA, Bernardos GL, Vaquero RA, MenchénViso L, Turégano FF (2009) Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula secondary to primary gastric lymphoma. Rev Esp Enferm Dig 101:76–78
Dellaportas D, Vezakis A, Fragulidis G, Tasoulis M, Karamitopoulou E, Polydorou A. Gastrosplenic fistula secondary to lymphoma, manifesting as upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopy 2011, 43.
Jain V, Pauli E, Sharzehi K, Moyer M (2011) Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula secondary to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Gastrointest Endosc 73:608–609
Rothermel LD, Chadwick CL, Thambi-Pillai T (2010) Gastrosplenic fistula: etiologies, diagnostic studies, and surgical management. Int Surg 95:270–272
deScoville A, Bovy P, Demeester P (1967) Radiologic aerosplenomegaly caused by necrotizing splenic lymphosarcoma with double fistulization into the digestive tract. Acta Gastro-Enterol Belg 30:841–847
Krause R, Larsen CR, Scholz FJ (1990) Gastrosplenic fistula: complication of adenocarcinoma of stomach. Comput Med Imaging Graph 14:273–276
Martinez JD, Moya L, Hernandez G, Viola L (2015) Rev Gastroenterol Peru 35:165–167
Pizzirusso F, Gillet JP, Fobe D. Isolated spleen metastatic involvement from a colorectal adenocarcinoma complicated with a gastrosplenic fistula. A case report and literature review. Acta Chir Belg. 2004;104:214–6
Kerem M, Sakrak O, Yilmaz TU, Gultekin FA, Dursun A, Bedirli A (2006) Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula in primary gastric lymphoma: surgical management. Asian J Surg 29:287–290
Macmahon CE, Lund P: Gastrocolic fistulae of malignant origin. A consideration of its nature and report of five cases. Am J Surg 1963 Aug,106:333–47
Bubenik O, Lopez MJ, Greco AO, Kraybill WG, Cherwitz DL (1983) Gastrosplenic fistula following successful chemotherapy for disseminated histiocytic lymphoma. Cancer 52(994):6
Moran M, Bilgiç I, Dizen H, EvrenDilektaşlı, TankutKöseoğlu, Özmen M. Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula resulting from primary gastric lymphoma: case report and review of the literature. Balkan Medical Journal 2011;28:205–8
David M, Mahvi and Seth B. Krantz. Stomach. In Textbook of surgery, The biological basis of modern surgical practice. 19th edition. Edited by Courtney M. Townsend, R. Daniel Beauchamp, B. Mark Evers, Kenneth L. Mattox.Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier; 2012:1182–1226
Seib CD, Rocha FG, Hwang DG, Shoji BT (2009) Gastrosplenic fistula from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. J Clin Oncol 10:27
Ding YL, Wang SY (2012) Gastrosplenic fistula due to splenic large B-cell lymphoma. J Res Med Sci 17:805–807
Maillo C, Bau J (2009) Gastrosplenic and thoracosplenic fistula due to primary untreated splenic lymphoma. Rev Esp Enferm Dig 101:222–223
Moghazy KM (2008) Gastrosplenic fistula following chemotherapy for lymphoma. Gulf J Oncolog 3:64–67
Bird MA, Amjadi D, Behrns KE (2002) Primary splenic lymphoma complicated by hematemesis and gastric erosion. South Med J 95:941–942
Hiltunen KM, Airo I, Mattila J, Helve O (1991) Massively bleeding gastrosplenic fistula following cytostatic chemotherapy of a malignant lymphoma. J Clin Gastroenterol 13:478–481
Julian A. Abrams, Timothy C. Wang. From adenocarcinoma and other tumours of the stomach.In Gastrointestinal and liver disease: pathophysiology/diagnosis/management. Volume 1. 9th edition.Edited by Mark Feldman, Lawrence S.Friedman, Lawrence J Brandt. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:887–906
Blanchi A, Bour B, Alami O (1995) Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula revealing high-grade centroblastic lymphoma: endoscopic findings. Gastrointest Endosc 42:587–589
Khan F, Vessal S, McKimm E, D'Souza R. Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula secondary to primary splenic lymphoma. BMJ Case Rep. 2010:bcr0420102932
Carolin KA, Prakash SH, Silva YJ (1997) Gastrosplenic fistulas: a case report and review of the literature. Am Surg 63:1007–1010
Choi JE, Chung HJ, Lee HG (2002) Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula: a rare complication of splenic diffuse large cell lymphoma. Abdom Imaging 27:728–730
Puppala R, Harvey Wl. Spontaneous gastrosplenic fistula in primary gastric lymphoma: case report and review of literature. Clin Radiol Extra. 2005; 60:20–2
Aribaş BK, Başkan E, Altinyollar H, Ungül U, Cengız A, Erdıl HF (2008) Gastrosplenic fistula due to splenic large cell lymphoma diagnosed by percutaneous drainage before surgical treatment. Turk J Gastroenterol 19:69–70
Cary ER, Tremaine WJ, Banks PM, Nagorney DM (1989) Isolated Crohn’s disease of the stomach. Mayo Clin Proc 64:776–779
Al-Ashgar HI, Khan MQ, Ghamdi AM, Bamehriz FY, Maghfoor I (2007) Gastrosplenic fistula in Hodgkin’s lymphoma treated successfully by laparoscopic surgery and chemotherapy. Saudi Med J 28:1898–1900
Palmowski M, Zechmann C, Satzl S et al (2008) Large gastrosplenic fistula after effective treatment of abdominal diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. Ann Hematol 87:337–338
Kyang LS, Gosal P, Na A, Cox MR, Devadas M (2020) Gastrosplenic fistula due to primary splenic lymphoma. ANZ J Surg. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.16340
Yokoyama Y, Kashyap S, Ewing E, Block R (2020) Gastrosplenic fistula secondary to non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. J Surg case Rep. https://doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rjz376
Saito M, Miyashita K, Miura Y, Harada S, Ogasawara R, Izumiyama K et al (2019) Successful treatment of gastrosplenic fistula arising from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with chemotherapy: two case reports. Case Rep Oncol 12:376–383
Kang DH, Huh J, Lee JH, Jeong YK, Cha HJ (2017) Gastrosplenic fistula occurring in lymphoma patients: systematic review with a new case of extranodal NK T-cell lymphoma. World J Gastroenterol 23:6491–6499
Gentilli S, Oldani O, Zanni M, Ferreri E, Terrone A, Valente G, et al. Gastrosplenic fistula as a complication of chemotherapy for large B-cell lymphoma. Ann Ital Chir.2016;26:87:S2239253X16025731
Senapati J, Devasia AJ, Sudhakar S, Viswabandya A (2014) Asymptomatic gastrosplenic fistula in a patient with marginal zonal lymphoma transformed to diffuse large B cell lymphoma- a case report and review of literature. Ann Hematol 93:1599–1602
Delgado Sanchez MJ, Bernardos Rodriguez A, Serrano Diez-Canedo J, Buezas Martinez G, Alamo JC (1994) Gastrosplenic fistula from primary lymphoma of the spleen. Rev Enferm Dig 86:543–545
Harris NL, Aisenberg AC, Meyer JE, Ellman L, Elman A: Diffuse large cell (histiocytic) lymphoma of the spleen. Clinical and pathological characteristic of ten cases. Cancer. 1984,142:711–4.
Leeds IL, Haut ER, Barnett CC (2016) Splenic abscess complicated by gastrosplenic fistula. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 81:612–614
Lee KJ, Yoo JS, Jeon H, Cho SK, Lee JH, Ha SS et al (2015) A case of splenic tuberculosis forming a Gastrosplenic fistula. Korean J Gastroenterol 66:168–171
Ballas K, Rafailidis S, Demertzidis C, Eugenidis N, Alatsakis M, Zafiriadou E et al (2005) Gastrosplenic fistula: a rare complication of splenic abscess. Surg Pract 9:153–155
Nikolaidis N, Giouleme O, Gkisakis D, Grammatikos N (2005) Posttraumatic splenic abscess with gastrosplenic fistula. GastrointestEndosc 61:771–772
Kryshtalskyi N, Shafir MS (1991) Splenic abscess with gastrosplenic fistula. Can Fam Physician 37:465–470
Glick SN, Levine MS, Teplick SK, Gasparaitis A (1987) Splenic penetration by benign gastric ulcer: Preoperative recognition with C T. Radiology 163:637–639
Joffe N, Antonioli DA (1981) Penetration into spleen by benign gastric ulcer. Clin Radiol 32:177–181
Immelman EJ (1975) Rupture of a subcapsular hematoma of the spleen resulting from a penetrating gastric ulcer. South Afr J Surg 13:261–263
Stoica T, Dragomir T, Gabrovescu D, Laky D, Marinescu M (1973) Ulcer of the fornix perforated into the spleen, simulating a gastric diverticulum. Chirurgia (Bucur) 22(509):12
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Statement of Informed Consent
Not applicable.
Statement of Human and Animal Rights
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Borgharia, S., Juneja, P., Hazrah, P. et al. Gastrosplenic Fistula: a Systematic Review. Indian J Surg Oncol 13, 652–660 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13193-022-01551-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13193-022-01551-5