Identification and reporting of anal pathology during routine colonoscopies

The gold-standard procedure for anal canal examination is anoscopy. Nonetheless, patients are referred for a colonoscopy for many reasons, and a routine exam might provide an opportunity to diagnose anal pathologies, such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal polyps, condylomas, and anal squamous cell carcinoma. It is important to know the main features of these conditions and relevant information to report in order to help guide patient treatment and follow-up.

Perianal complications in puerperium and associated risk factors

Introduction: Puerperium is defined as the period of about 6 weeks after childbirth during which the mother's reproductive organs return to their original nonpregnant condition. Perianal problems, including constipation, hemorrhoids, and fissure, are among the most common digestive complications among women in puerperium, observed in about 30 to 50 percent of women. Considering this great prevalence and the paucity of similar research in this aspect in an Indian population, the present study was done to assess the prevalence of perianal problems seen in puerperium and the risk factors associated with it. Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study done over the span of 3 years on 902 puerperal women. A self-structured questionnaire covered detailed history and per-rectal and proctoscopy examination. Patients were followed up telephonically for regression of perianal problems post management. Results: The total prevalence of all the perianal problems in puerperium encountered in the present study, out of 902 subjects, was 36.3% (327 subjects). The perianal problems encountered were fissure in 185 patients (20.5%) followed by hemorrhoids in 110 patients (12.2%), perianal episiotomy infections in 25 patients (2.8%), and perineal tears in 7 patients (0.8%). On comparative analysis, positive family history, macrosomia, past history of perianal diseases, and second stage of labour > 50 minutes showed a higher prevalence in the perianal disease group as compared with the healthy group. Out of these, positive family history of perianal diseases (p= 0.015) and past history of perianal diseases (p= 0.016) were statistically significant. The percentage of multipara with hemorrhoids was more when compared to primipara (p= 0.01), patients who had a past history of any perianal disease have a higher chance of hemorrhoids during puerperium (p= 0.00). Patients with constipation in pregnancy have higher chance of hemorrhoids in pregnancy (p= 0.00). Patients who had a past history of any perianal disease had higher chance of fissure during puerperium (p= 0.00). A total of 27.74% of the study subjects with macrosomic babies had fissure in their puerperal period which on comparison with patients with non macrosomic babies was only 19.22%, which was statistically significant (p= 0.02). Conclusion: Constipation, hemorrhoids, and anal fissures are the most common perianal problems in postpartum period causing significant reduction in the quality of life of those afflicted with them. (AU)

Management of chronic anal fissures: a narrative review

Anal fissures are often encountered in surgical practice in both sexes. It is a distressing disease impacting quality of life and causes profound morbidity among those affected. If left untreated, it may lead onto perianal abscess or even malignancy in long standing cases. Surgery is the gold standard management for chronic anal fissures. Recently the widespread use of pharmacologic agents for chronic fissures has increased. The management of chronic anal fissures has migrated to an era of multifaceted approach. This narrative review looks into various studies spanning over a period of 16 years. Various articles were shortlisted and analyzed for efficacy of various treatment methods, their impact in hospital stay, quality of life improvement, recurrence rate and complications among various treatment methods. We concluded from this review, that open lateral internal sphincterotomy is still the gold standard method of treatment for chronic anal fissure. Among pharmacological agents, 2% diltiazem has the best effectiveness with good compliance rate. Modern surgical techniques like VY plasty can be reserved for special situations. We do not recommend the practice of manual anal dilatation.

Efectividad del lisado plaquetario en la cicatrización de las fisuras anales / Effectiveness of platelet lysate in anal fissures cicatrization

Introducción: las fisuras anales son un problema de salud importante en la población cubana, incluso con la supresión de los factores desencadenantes, muchas de ellas tienden a la cronicidad; su evolución es tórpida, y es elevado el riesgo de complicación de las mismas. Objetivo: evaluar la cicatrización de las fisuras anales mediante lisado plaquetario en el Hospital General Docente Comandante Pinares de San Cristóbal. Método: se realizó un estudio cuasi experimental en el servicio de cirugía general del Hospital General Docente Comandante Pinares desde enero 2015 hasta junio 2017. Se incluyeron en el estudio todos los pacientes adultos, de ambos sexos, atendidos por el diagnóstico de fisura anal con inadecuada respuesta al tratamiento convencional y sin otras enfermedades de base que impidieran el uso de la terapia regenerativa. A todos los pacientes se les solicitó el consentimiento informado previa explicación de las características del estudio. Resultados: la hemorroidectomía fue el proceder más frecuente asociado a las fisuras anales. El dolor fue el síntoma predominante antes del tratamiento. La reducción del área de la fisura fue evidente en los tratados con lisado. El efecto final en los pacientes tratados con el método fue positivo. Conclusiones: se comprobó que el lisado plaquetario usado para la cicatrización de la fisura anal crónica fue efectivo con un resultado de satisfacción por parte de los pacientes, con un mínimo de reacciones adversas. Puede representar un futuro promisorio en el tratamiento de esta enfermedad(AU)

Introduction: Anal fissures are an important health problem in the Cuban population, even with the suppression of the triggering factors, many of them tend to chronicity; its evolution is torpid, and their risk for complication is high. Objective: To evaluate the healing of anal fissures by platelet lysate in Comandante Pinares General Teaching Hospital in San Cristóbal. Method: A quasi-experimental study was performed in the general surgery service of Comandante Pinares General Teaching Hospital, from January 2015 to June 2017. All adult patients, of both sexes, were attended upon diagnosis of anal fissure and were included in the study. with inadequate response to conventional treatment and without other underlying diseases that could prevent the use of regenerative therapy. All patients were asked for their informed consent prior explanation of the study characteristics. Results: Hemorrhoidectomy was the most frequent procedure associated with anal fissures. Pain was the predominant symptom before treatment. The reduction in the area of ​​the fissure was evident in those patients treated with the lysate. The final effect in patients treated with the method was positive. Conclusions: The usage of the platelet lysate for the healing of chronic anal fissure proved effective, with a result of patient satisfaction, with a minimum of adverse reactions. It may represent a promising future in the treatment of this disease(AU)