Should anorectal ultrasonography be included as a diagnostic tool for chronic anal pain?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficiency of endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) in the study of chronic idiopathic anal pain (CIAP). MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is a prospective and descriptive study in which 40 patients, 18 men and 22 women with an average of 47 years, were included. They had chronic anal pain of at least 3 months duration. A complete colonoscopy was performed in all patients, which found no abnormalities to explain clinical symptoms. Patients with anal fissure and internal hemorrhoids of any degree, perianal suppurative processes, and pelvic surgery were excluded from the study. An ALOKA ProSound SSD-4000 ultrasound console attached to a multifrequency radial transductor ASU-67 (7.5 and 10 MHz) was used. RESULTS: One patient could not tolerate the examination. In 8 patients (20% of cases) alterations were detected during ultrasonography: in 4 patients (10% of the cases; 1 man and 3 women) internal anal sphincter (IAS) hypertrophy, and in 5 patients (4 women and 1 man) a torn sphincter complex. A tear in the upper IAS canal and hypertrophy of the middle anal canal were observed in one patient (1 woman). CONCLUSIONS: ERUS is a simple, economic and useful test to study anorectal pathologies. Although in most studied cases no damage to the anal canal or rectal wall was detected, in a considerable number of patients we observed a thickening of the IAS, a probable cause of anal pain. Therefore, we understand that ERUS should be included in the study of CIAP.

¿Se debe incluir la ecografía rectoanal como prueba diagnóstica del dolor anal crónico? / Should anorectal ultrasonography be included as a diagnostic tool for chronic anal pain?

Objetivo: evaluar el rendimiento de la ecografía rectoanal (ERA) en el estudio del dolor anal crónico idiopático (DACI). Material y método: se trata de un estudio prospectivo y descriptivo en el que se han incluido 40 pacientes, 18 hombres y 22 mujeres, con edad media de 47 años, con clínica de dolor anal crónico de al menos 3 meses de evolución. A todos los pacientes se les había realizado una colonoscopia completa, en la que no se encontró anomalía que justificara la clínica. Se excluyeron del estudio pacientes con fisura anal y con hemorroides internas de cualquier grado, enfermedad supurativa perianal y cirugía pélvica. Se utilizó un ecógrafo ALOKA ProSound SSD-4000 al que se conectó un transductor radial multifrecuencia ASU-67 (7,5 y 10 MHz). Resultados: un paciente no toleró la exploración. En 8 pacientes (20% de los casos estudiados) se detectaron alteraciones en el estudio ecográfico: en 4 pacientes, 10% de los casos (1 hombre y 3 mujeres), hipertrofia del esfínter anal interno (EAI) y en 5 pacientes (4 mujeres y 1 hombre) rotura del complejo esfinteriano. En una mujer se observó rotura de EAI en canal alto e hipertrofia del mismo en el canal medio. Conclusiones: la ecografía rectoanal es una prueba sencilla, económica y útil para el estudio de la patología rectoanal. Si bien, en la mayoría de los casos estudiados no se han detectado lesiones en el canal anal ni en la pared rectal, en un porcentaje no desdeñable de pacientes hemos observado engrosamiento del EAI, que podría considerarse posible causa del dolor anal. Por tanto, consideramos que la ecografía rectoanal debe ser incluida en el estudio del dolor anal crónico idiopático(AU)

Objective: to assess the efficiency of endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) in the study of chronic idiopathic anal pain (CIAP). Material and method: this is a prospective and descriptive study in which 40 patients, 18 men and 22 women with an average of 47 years, were included. They had chronic anal pain of at least 3 months’ duration. A complete colonoscopy was performed in all patients, which found no abnormalities to explain clinical symptoms. Patients with anal fissure and internal hemorrhoids of any degree, perianal suppurative processes, and pelvic surgery were excluded from the study. An ALOKA ProSound SSD-4000 ultrasound console attached to a multifrequency radial transductor ASU-67 (7.5 and 10 MHz) was used. Results: one patient could not tolerate the examination. In 8 patients (20% of cases) alterations were detected during ultrasonography: in 4 patients (10% of the cases; 1 man and 3 women) internal anal sphincter (IAS) hypertrophy, and in 5 patients (4 women and 1 man) a torn sphincter complex. A tear in the upper IAS canal and hypertrophy of the middle anal canal were observed in one patient (1 woman). Conclusions: ERUS is a simple, economic and useful test to study anorectal pathologies. Although in most studied cases no damage to the anal canal or rectal wall was detected, in a considerable number of patients we observed a thickening of the IAS, a probable cause of anal pain. Therefore, we understand that ERUS should be included in the study of CIAP(AU)