The Italian Unitary Society of Colon-proctology (SIUCP: Società Italiana Unitaria di Colonproctologia) guidelines for the management of anal fissure.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of these evidence-based guidelines is to present a consensus position from members of the Italian Unitary Society of Colon-Proctology (SIUCP: Società Italiana Unitaria di Colon-Proctologia) on the diagnosis and management of anal fissure, with the purpose to guide every physician in the choice of the best treatment option, according with the available literature. METHODS: A panel of experts was designed and charged by the Board of the SIUCP to develop key-questions on the main topics covering the management of anal fissure and to performe an accurate search on each topic in different databanks, in order to provide evidence-based answers to the questions and to summarize them in statements. All the clinical questions were discussed by the expert panel in different rounds through the Delphi approach and, for each statement, a consensus among the experts was reached. The questions were created according to the PICO criteria, and the statements developed adopting the GRADE methodology. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute anal fissure the medical therapy with dietary and behavioral norms is indicated. In the chronic phase of disease, the conservative treatment with topical 0.3% nifedipine plus 1.5% lidocaine or nitrates may represent the first-line therapy, eventually associated with ointments with film-forming, anti-inflammatory and healing properties such as Propionibacterium extract gel. In case of first-line treatment failure, the surgical strategy (internal sphincterotomy or fissurectomy with flap), may be guided by the clinical findings, eventually supported by endoanal ultrasound and anal manometry.

Anal fistula plug is a valid alternative option for the treatment of complex anal fistula in the long term.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective, two-centre study was designed to evaluate long-term outcomes when using a collagen plug to treat cryptoglandular anal fistulae. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Over 3 years, 60 consecutive patients with cryptoglandular fistulae were treated using an anal fistula plug by experienced surgeons. Preoperative, postoperative and follow-up data were collected in a dedicated database. Success was defined as the closure of all fistula openings and the absence of discharge. Faecal incontinence scores were administered at baseline and at 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: Eleven patients had multiple fistula tracts. All fistulae treated in this series were classified as complex. Seventeen fistulae were anterior tracts in females, and the remaining tracts were trans-sphincteric in nature. Thirty-eight tracts were recurrent. Mean operative time was 26 ± 10 min. No major complications, active sepsis or mortality were observed. Success rate with a mean follow-up of 13 months was 60% of patients and 70% of tracts. Mean time for recurrence was 5.7 months. Two recurrent patients were successfully treated with a redo plug procedure, and five were successfully closed with a post-plug fistulotomy, leading to a global 72% success rate without continence impairment. Of the patients with a minimum follow-up of 6 months (mean, 18.5 months; range, 6-34 months), 29 in 32 (90.6%) were healed at final evaluation. In these patients, the mean preoperative CCF incontinence score was 0.73. This was reduced to 0.14 at 6-month follow-up. The mean reduction of CCF incontinence score was -0.6 (95% CI, 1.3 to -0.1; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Fistula tract treatment with the anal fistula plug is a safe and viable surgical option that should be offered to complex fistula patients. The reasons and risk factors for recurrence remain to be explored.

Decision-making algorithm for the STARR procedure in obstructed defecation syndrome: position statement of the group of STARR Pioneers.

Internal rectal prolapse (rectal intussusception) and rectocele are frequent clinical findings in patients suffering from refractory constipation that may be best characterized as obstructive defecation syndrome. However, there is still no clear evidence whether the stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) procedure provides a safe and effective surgical option for symptom resolution in patients with obstructive defecation syndrome, as evidence-based guidelines and functional long-term results are still missing. On the basis of the need for objective evaluation, a European group of experts was founded (Stapled Transanal Rectal Resection Pioneers). Derived from 2 meetings (October 26-28, 2006, Gouvieux, France and November 28-29, 2007, St Gallen, Switzerland) a concept for treatment options in patients suffering from obstructive defecation syndrome was developed, including a clear decision-making algorithm specifically focusing on the role of the stapled transanal rectal resection procedure based on clinical symptoms and dynamic imaging and inclusion and exclusion criteria for the stapled transanal rectal resection procedure.

Sentinel and nonsentinel node status in stage IB and II melanoma patients: two-step prognostic indicators of survival.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic significance of sentinel node biopsy in the management of stage IB and II melanoma patients, and to evaluate the status of nonsentinel nodes as a "second step key factor" to assess the prognosis of these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an analysis of data collected in a prospective database. RESULTS: From February 1994 to June 2005, 1,108 consecutive patients with stage IB and II melanoma were submitted to sentinel node biopsy; 176 patients (15.9%) had occult node metastases. The frequency of positive nodes increased with increasing Breslow's thickness. The largest diameter of metastatic foci and their localization within the lymph node were associated with the risk of nonsentinel node metastases only. The 5-year survival of patients with positive sentinel nodes was 81.4% in patients with one positive node and 39.6% in patients with two positive nodes (P = .056). Multivariate analysis indicated that status of sentinel nodes is a key factor and that sex and Breslow's thickness maintain statistically significant relevance. Ulceration, which was associated with survival when considered as single factor (P < .001) had no impact on survival in the multivariate analysis (P = .10). To evaluate the relevance of metastases to nonsentinel nodes, we identified four groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of the sentinel node is a useful procedure to identify patients to be submitted for complete lymph node dissection. The procedure makes it possible to assess the best prognosis of patients.