Anal fistula
Updated: May 17, 2022
An anal fistula is a canal or hiatus whose external entrance is the skin surrounding the anus and the internal entrance may be in the anus, rectum, or another part of the intestine.
Symptoms of fistula in the anus:
The patient complains of chronic secretions of turbid fluid, blood, pus or stool, according to the severity of the fistula disease, and there is often a prior medical history of the abscess, the chronic recurrence of the abscess is accompanied by signs of acute infection such as fever, pain, redness and swelling.
Causes and risk factors for fistula in the anus:
The most common cause of fistula formation is the formation of an abscess in the area around the anus, where the abscess drains through an external percutaneous outlet and the internal opening gap is the anal canal.
Complications from childbirth.
Complications after surgery for hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or some inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
Additional causes include hidradenitis, tuberculosis, malignant tumors and complications from brachytherapy.
Diagnosis of anal fistula:
Diagnosis in most cases depends on the rectal examination, although there are cases that require diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound, CT scan or MRI.
Treatment of fistula in the anus:
Treatment depends on the type of fistula and whether the external sphincter is also affected, and in most cases excision of the fistula by surgery is sufficient.
A fistula that affects a large part of the sphincter, pubic and rectal muscles may lead to complications, including fecal incontinence, if treated in the way described above, so it is better to treat such cases in a more conservative manner.
There are many treatment methods, including the treatment of fistula using Ceton, which is a surgical treatment in which a wire is inserted through the fistula canal to close the fistula, and other treatment methods include the use of adhesive fibrin, which succeeds in closing the fistula in some cases.
Contact Dr. Tarek Shokry Abouollo clinic if you are curious to know more.