When the Rectal Protection Barrier Causes Complications: Recognizing Spacer-Induced Rectal Fistula
Hamza Almusabeh, Wesley Wright, Asad Pervez · 2025
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Description
Hamza Almusabeh, Wesley Wright, and Asad Pervez report a paradoxical injury: the gel spacer placed to shield a patient's rectum from prostate radiation apparently punched a hole in it instead. The patient, a seventy-eight-year-old man, came in with rectal bleeding two weeks after the spacer was placed and just after his first radiation session. Their 2025 image case walks through the evidence.
Scans showed no active bleeding, but a camera inspection found a deep defect just inside the rectum, a fistula opening. A clip closed the tract, and follow-up showed no more bleeding. Since he had received only two radiation doses, the authors blame the gel's placement and pressure, possibly on a wall weakened by the patient's own prior self-examination. Their warning: protective devices carry their own risks, and bleeding after placement deserves a look inside.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Hamza Almusabeh, Wesley Wright, Asad Pervez |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2025 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 2 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |