Anal Canal

Acute infection of surgical incision sites often requires specialized wound care in preparation for surgical closure. Optimal therapy for preparing such wounds for a secondary closure procedure remains uncertain. The authors report wound outcomes after administering acoustic pressure wound therapy in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy with reticulated open-cell foam dressing changes to assist with bacteria removal from open, infected surgical-incision sites in preparation for secondary surgical closure in three patients. Before incorporating acoustic pressure wound therapy at the authors' facility, the average negative pressure wound therapy with reticulated open-cell foam dressing course prior to secondary surgical closure was 30 days; with its addition, two of three patients underwent successful surgical closure with no postoperative complications after 21 and 14 days, respectively; one patient succumbed to nonwound-related complications before wound closure. Lar...

Responses in the external anal and urethral sphincters as well as in the bulbocavernosus muscle have been evoked by supramaximal electrical stimulation of the penis (or clitoris), perineum and the peri-anal region and recorded electromyographically in 82 male subjects 5 to 73 years old and in nine female subjects 18 to 55 years old, who had no systemic diseases or demonstrable sacral nervous system lesion. On perineal stimulation (including the penis or clitoris) reflex responses with a typical latency of 33 ms and which exhibit no habituation were obtained in all muscles examined. Stimulation of the peri-anal region gave habituating reflex responses with a typical latency of 55 ms in all muscles examined. On perineal, and sometimes also peri-anal stimulation, stable short latency responses with typical latencies of 5 and 13 ms were recorded; both were considered to be direct responses. The different evoked muscle responses obtained by stimulation in the perineal and peri-anal regio...

Congenital malformations can be manifested as combinations of phenotypes that co-occur more often than expected by chance. In many such cases, it has proved difficult to identify a genetic cause. We sought the genetic cause of cardiac, vertebral, and renal defects, among others, in unrelated patients. We used genomic sequencing to identify potentially pathogenic gene variants in families in which a person had multiple congenital malformations. We tested the function of the variant by using assays of in vitro enzyme activity and by quantifying metabolites in patient plasma. We engineered mouse models with similar variants using the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas9 system. Variants were identified in two genes that encode enzymes of the kynurenine pathway, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid 3,4-dioxygenase (HAAO) and kynureninase (KYNU). Three patients carried homozygous variants predicting loss-of-function changes in the HAAO or KYNU proteins (HAAO p.D16...

Here we present the case of a 56-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected man with multiple anal condylomas and positivity for human papilloma virus (HPV) 18 on anal brushing. Biopsies of the anal mucosa led to the diagnosis of Bowen's disease and a subsequent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan evidenced multiple reactive lymphoadenopathies and large intra-anal condylomas. The patient was treated with a complete excision of Bowen's lesion and with a 4 months course of supplementation with a high concentration multistrain probiotic formulation administered orally and by rectal instillation with the purpose to reduce local inflammation and to enhance local mucosal immunity. An MRI performed at the end of the supplementation period evidenced the clearance of the anal condylomas previously described and no evidence of residual lymphadenopathies. Trials are therefore required to confirm this therapeutic possibility and for a better understanding of the mecha...

The local anaesthetics used in day-case spinal anaesthesia should provide short recovery times. We aimed to compare hyperbaric prilocaine and bupivacaine in terms of sensory block resolution and time to home readiness in day-case spinal anaesthesia. MeTHODS: Fifty patients undergoing perianal surgery were randomized into two groups. The bupivacaine-fentanyl group (Group B) received 7.5 mg, 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine + 20 μg fentanyl in total 1.9 mL. The prilocaine-fentanyl group (Group P) received 30 mg, 0.5% hyperbaric prilocaine + 20 μg fentanyl in the same volume. Time to L1 block and maximum block was shorter in Group P than in Group B (Group P 4.6 ± 1.3 min versus Group B 5.9 ± 01.9 min, P = 0.017, and Group P 13.2 ± 7.5 min versus Group B 15.3 ± 6.6 min, P = 0.04). The time to L1 regression and S3 regression of the sensorial block was significantly shorter in Group P than in Group B (45.7 ± 21.9 min versus 59.7 ± 20.9 min, P = 0.024, and 133.8 ± 41.4 min versus 200.4 ± 64.8 m...

Haemorrhoidal disease is the consequence of distal displacement of the anal cushions, which are normal structures with an important role in continence. The causes of haemorrhoidal disease are unknown; constipation and abnormal bowel habit are commonly blamed despite largely contrary evidence. The most consistently demonstrated physiological abnormality is an increased maximum resting anal pressure. Most evidence points to this being a secondary phenomenon rather than the cause of haemorrhoidal disease. Among the many unexplored areas are the function of the longitudinal muscle in relation to haemorrhoidal disease, the description and pharmacological responsiveness of the anal subepithelial muscle, and the clinical role of specific pharmacological agents that might reverse some of the observed physiological changes.

Study design:Thirty-six patients with unsatisfactory treatment of neurogenic bowel dysfunctions (NBD) were enrolled from Spinal Units and Rehabilitation Centers in Italy. Treatment was for 3 weeks using a newly developed integrated system with an enema continence catheter for transanal irrigation (Peristeen, Coloplast A/S Kokkedal Denmark).Objectives:To evaluate the effects of Peristeen Anal Irrigation on NBD and patient quality of life (QoL).Setting:Italy.Methods:Lesion

Backround/Aim. Anismus is paradoxal pressure increase or pressure decrease less than 20% of external anal sphincter during defecation straining. This study analyzed the presence of anismus as within a group of patients with the positive Rome III criteria for functional constipation. We used anorectal manometry as the determination method for anismus. Methods. We used anorectal waterperfused manometry in 60 patients with obstructive defecation defined by the Rome III criteria for functional constipation. We also analyzed anorectal function in 30 healthy subjects. Results. The presence of anismus is more frequent in the group of patients with obstructive defecation compared to the control group (a highly statistically significant difference, p < 0.01). Furthermore, we found that the Rome III criteria for functional constipation showed 90% accuracy in predicting obstructive defecation. We analyzed the correlation of anismus with the presence of weak external anal sphincter, rectal s...

Background Anal sphincter tone is routinely assessed by digital rectal examination in patients with fecal incontinence, although its accuracy in detecting sphincter defects or separating competent from incompetent muscles has not been established. Objective In this setting, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of digital rectal examination in grading anal defects in order to separate small from extensive cases as depicted on 3D endoanal ultrasound, using a scoring sphincter defect and correlate anal tone to anal pressures. Methods Women with fecal incontinence were divided into two groups: small or extensive defects according to the ultrasound scoring system. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of digital rectal examination in grading global and external sphincter defects were calculated. Anal tone at digital rectal examination was compared to resting and incremental pressures. Results A cohort of 76 consecutive incontinent women were enrolled. The median ...

BackgroundWe investigated the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and associated behavioural risk factors in men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) attending a clinical service in Cape Town, South Africa.MethodsMSM were enrolled at the Ivan Toms Centre for Men’s Health in Cape Town. A psychosocial and sexual behavioral risk questionnaire was completed for each participant and urine, oro-pharyngeal and anal swabs were collected for HPV testing using the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine sexual risk factors associated with HPV infection at the three anatomical sites.ResultsThe median age of all 200 participants was 32 years (IQR 26-39.5), of which 31.0 % were black, 31.5 % mixed race/coloured and 35.5 % white. The majority of the participants (73.0 %) had completed high school, 42.0 % had a tertiary level qualification and 69.0 % were employed. HPV genotypes were detected in 72.8 % [95 % CI: 65.9–79.0 %], 11.5 % [95 % CI...

Dynamic graciloplasty is used commonly as a neoanal sphincter to reconstruct the damaged anal sphincter. However, infection of the transposed gracilis and consequent failure of anal reconstruction has been recorded in some cases. An alternative to gracilis muscle should be searched for to reconstruct and replace the anal sphincter. 30 fresh cadavers (20 adult, 10 stillborns) had been used in this study. The external and common iliac arteries were injected with a mixture of 50% lead oxide and 50% red latex. The long head of biceps femoris was exposed to identify its neurovascular bundle and estimate the whole length of the thigh, the whole length of the long head of biceps and the dominant neurovascular pedicles of the long head of biceps muscle. The functional length of the biceps muscle that is used during the muscle rotation was also calculated. The diameter of the arteries supplying the muscle was measured at their proximal and distal ends using a Swiss mechanic caliber. The thig...

Covering stoma is the main method used to protect low-lying anastomosis after cancer proctectomy. Intraluminal rectal pressure could be a potential risk factor for anastomotic leakage. We present our personal experience with an alternative and original device, the transanal tube NO COIL®, evaluating its feasibility and safety based on a preliminary manometric study. From May 1998 to March 1999, an experimental manometric study on 35 subjects was performed to assess the pathophysiological basis of intraluminal rectal pressure with or without the transanal tube. Subsequently, from April 1999 to December 2009, 184 patients (107 males, 77 females, average age 68.2 ± 10 years) with primary adenocarcinoma of the rectum (≤12 cm from anal verge) were selected. Eighty-two underwent total proctectomy and 102 subtotal proctectomy. No stoma were fashioned. At the end of the operation, the silicone transanal tube NO COIL ®, 60-80 mm long, 2 mm thick with a calibre of up to 2 cm, was applied and ...