We performed a systematic review of the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of secondary aortoenteric fistulas (AEF). A MEDLINE search was performed of articles published in English or Spanish between January 1991 and August 2006. Diagnostic methods, treatment modalities and the results of surgical treatment were analyzed. The most frequent first aortic surgery associated with AEF was repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (54.31%). The most common form of presentation was gastrointestinal bleeding. Repair through in situ prosthetic replacement had the lowest early mortality rates (8-13.3%) compared with graft excision and extraanatomic revascularization (18.2-44%). AEF is a serious entity and diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion based on clinical findings and indirect data from imaging techniques (computed tomography). The most appropriate therapeutic option continues to be controversial.