Journal of Coloproctology

Background Perianal fistula is among the most common anorectal diseases encountered in adults, men are more prone to be affected than women. There is a close relationship of abscess and fistula in etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, therapy, complications and morbidity, it is appropriate to consider them as one entity.

Aim of study To determine the incidence of fistula formation and recurrent abscess in a sample of Iraqi patients in Baghdad and decide whether primary fistulotomy should be performed at the time of incision and drainage of perianal abscesses.

Patients and methods A retrospective study of 68 patients with perianal abscess operations conducted in Baghdad. They underwent incision and drainage under either local or general anesthesia at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospitals and private hospitals over a 15-year period from January 2000 to December 2015. Their ages ranged from 20 to 68 years (40.21 ± 1.34) males (63/68) (92.64%) were more than females (5/68) (7.35%). Patients were treated with incision over the abscess under anesthesia and drainage of the abscess was done. The patients were followed up for an average 18 months (range 12–24 months) after abscess drainage or until a fistula appeared and abscess recurrence.

Results The study group comprised of 68 (92.64%) patients with perianal abscess with a median age 39 years (range 20–68 years). The mean follow-up period was identified to be 18 months (range 12–24 months). Males (63/68) (92.64%) were more than females (5/68) (7.35%). The incidence of fistula formation after follow up, the patients with perianal abscess after incision and drainage was 31/68 (45.58%) and males (30/31) (44.11%) were more than females (1/31) (1.47%). The most common site was posterior then left lateral position. The percentage of patients with recurrent abscess n = 6 (8.82%)were lower than fistula formation n = 31 (45.58%). The percentage of males n = 4/6 (5.88%) were more than females 2/6 (2.94%).

Conclusions The incidence of anal fistula in a sample of Iraqi patients with perianal abscess was 45.58% and percentage of recurrence of perianal abscess was 8.82%. To avoid division of anal sphincter muscle, secondary fistulotomy is advised to be done later when anal fistula will be formed.

Introduction Small bowel neoplasms are rare entities, with only 3.2% of gastrointestinal tumors localized in this segment. Adenocarcinoma is the second most common histologic type among small bowel neoplasms. The disease's symptoms are non-specific, with abdominal pain being the most common. Among the complications, fistulas are a far rare condition.

Case report We present the case of an 86-year-old woman, hypertensive, diabetic, and former smoker, with lower abdominal pain, hematuria, fecaluria and fever associated with weight loss. Upon physical examination presented pale mucous membranes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen showed parietal thickening in the distal ileum segment with an anterior wall bladder fistula. Absence of metastases.

Subjected to transurethral endoscopic biopsy of the bladder lesion, which anatomopathological study was compatible with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. An enterectomy was performed with primary enteroanastomosis, associated with partial cystectomy by videolaparoscopy. Anatomopathological study of the surgical specimens concluded mucinous adenocarcinoma with signet ring cells located in the small bowel and bladder. Immunohistochemical exam has identified findings compatible with mucinous adenocarcinoma of origin in the small bowel. The patient evolved well, being discharged, and returned to postoperative follow-up without signs of relapse of the disease.

Conclusion The relative inaccessibility of the small bowel and the malignant neoplasms’ non-specific symptoms make an early diagnosis difficult. Discovery of the disease, often only at an advanced stage, results in complications and less effective therapy. The laparoscopic approach might be advantageous and effective in the treatment of advanced small bowel cancer with invasion of adjacent structures.

Background Mycobacterial infections are a serious public health problem worldwide. Involvement of the anal canal and perineum is very rare, but constitute an important differential diagnosis with other equally serious pathologies that may affect the region, such as malignant neoplasms and Crohn’s disease.

Objectives To conduct a literature review on mycobacterial infections of the perianal region considering the most recent information for diagnostic and therapeutic guidance of this disease.

Methods Research was performed on the PUBMED and LILACS databases with the expressions Mycobacterium, Anal, Infection and Tuberculosis. We reviewed articles referring to series of treated cases, clinical reports and literature review published since 2005.

Results Information was compiled on the epidemiology of mycobacterial infections; the clinical behavior of affected individuals; diagnostic options and their validity in clinical practice; and, finally, therapeutic options.

Conclusions Mycobacterial infections of the anus and perineum are rare. The most common clinical presentations are the presence of ulceration and fistulization. The diagnosis involves more than one procedure for identifying the bacilli and should consider the presence of manifestations in more than one organ. The treatment is based on pharmacological intervention. Surgery is recommended for acute complications or chronic sequelae of the disease.

Objective Ulcerative colitis usually affects the rectum and potentially can involve the whole colon. Noninvasive methods such as fecal calprotectin measurement may be considered as a reliable and inexpensive approach in assessing disease severity or treatment change strategy.

Methods In this retrospective cross-sectional study, records of 56 ulcerative colitis patients who hospitalized with exacerbation between May 2016 and April 2017 were assessed based on IBD Data Bank Software in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases and Research Center (GLDRC), Guilan province, Iran between. A questionnaire of demographic characteristics, clinical findings and fecal calprotectin level was completed. Montreal classification severity of ulcerative colitis and Mayo disease activity index were scored. Data were analyzed for descriptive and analytical analysis.

Results Fecal calprotectin was significantly different in terms of disease severity based on both Mayo score (p = 0.007) and Montreal classification (p = 0.001). In patients with mild symptoms, no increase in fecal calprotectin was observed, but in patients with moderate and severe elevations in fecal calprotectin levels was significant. Also, C-Reactive Protein surge was related to disease severity (p = 0.02). Furthermore, regression comparison among high-chance patients based on fecal calprotectin was significantly related to higher Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate levels and smoking, p = 0.01 and p = 0.05, respectively.

Conclusion It seems fecal calprotectin levels are related to the disease severity. Non-invasive methods, such as fecal calprotectin assay, may seem to be an alternative to aggressive, costly and time-consuming methods, such as colonoscopy and biopsy, to reduce the suffering of patients and ultimately help improve the patients’ life quality.

Objective To evaluate the serum concentrations of vitamin D and their relation with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Methods This is a quantitative and descriptive study, with individuals assisted by the interdisciplinary ambulatory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease of the Family and Community Health Unit of Itajaí/SC from September 2015 to October 2016. Socioeconomic data, life habits, and biochemical tests were collected, with the use of clinical indexes of classification of the disease activity: Harvey-Bradshaw Index (Crohn's Disease) and Partial Mayo Score (Chronic Nonspecific Ulcerative Colitis).

Results Of the 60 patients evaluated, 57% (n = 34) had Crohn's Disease and 43% (n = 26) had Chronic Nonspecific Ulcerative Colitis. According to disease activity, 75% (n = 45) were in the remission phase, 13% (n = 8) had mild activity, and 9% (n = 5) had moderate activity. Regarding vitamin D, 63% (n = 38) had deficiency of this vitamin and 37% (n = 22) presented sufficiency. With the association of serum vitamin D concentrations and disease activity, we observed statistical significance among the variables (p = 0.005). Regarding biochemical exams, the majority of patients with fecal calprotectin elevation presented vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.025). Statistically significant correlation between HSV and vitamin D (p = 0.0001) was found.

Conclusion According to the findings of this study, vitamin D deficiency is related to the clinical and laboratory activity of inflammatory bowel diseases.

We are reporting a case of colorectal injury caused by a jet of compressed air directed from a distance towards the anus. The patient mentioned that it happened accidentally while his colleague was cleaning his clothes using compressed air. The patient presented with acute abdominal pain and distension. A contrast CT study did not show any free air or leakage. The patient was treated conservatively, progressed well and was discharged from the hospital on the fourth day.

Introduction It is important to characterize patients’ mental health problems since the association between mental adjustment and life expectancy has stabilized in these patients. So, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and hopelessness in patients with ostomy.

Method A mixed method strategy (cross-sectional and content qualitative analysis) was done in Educational Hospitals in Tehran in 2019. Beck Suicide Ideation (19 item) and Beck Hopelessness (20 item) self-assessment questionnaires and unstructured interview were used for data collection. Data were expressed as frequency and percentage and independent t-test. Analysis was done in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0 and conventional content analysis.

Results Three months after surgery, 3% had low suicidal ideation and 97% had high risk suicidal ideation. This rate 6 months after surgery was 16% with low suicidal thoughts and 84% with high risk suicidal thoughts. In the case of hopelessness 3 months after the surgery, 20% had mild hopelessness, 79% had moderate hopelessness, and 1% had severe hopelessness. These figures 6 months after surgery were 11% hopeless, 31% mildly disappointed, 58% moderately disappointed. The results of the qualitative study resulted in the extraction of three main categories that included enduring the initial suffering, social isolation, and lag of ostomy admission.

Conclusion The relative improvement in suicidal ideation and hopelessness in the present study showed that the mental status of ostomy patients requires more careful attention.

Background activation of the Wnt pathway by mutated APC gene is considered the initial event in colorectal carcinogenesis. The identification of these mutations can improve the specific treatment of the adenocarcinoma.

Objective detect and evaluate wild-type APC protein in tissue from colorectal adenoma, adenocarcinoma and adjacent mucosa.

Methods 42 patients that underwent surgery for adenocarcinoma and 53 patients with resected adenomas were studied. Tissue samples from the adenocarcinoma were obtained from the tumor and from adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa located 10 cm from the proximal margin of the tumor. Adenoma tissue was obtained from representative areas. Blocks of tissue microarray (TMA) were submitted to immunohistochemistry with anti-APC, with readings of positivity and intensity of immunostaining and the score of immune expression of APC protein was obtained.

Results the APC protein immune expression score showed a significantly lower expression of APC protein in the adenoma when compared with the adenocarcinoma (p < 0.0001) and adjacent mucosa (p < 0.0001). The APC protein immune expression score in the colorectal mucosa and adjacent to the adenocarcinoma showed no significant difference (p = 0.24).

Conclusions the finding of decreased expression of APC protein in adenoma tissue may indicate that the mutated APC gene may contribute to the changes in the adenoma-carcinoma process of carcinogenesis sequence. The strong expression of protein APC in tissues from the carcinoma and adjacent mucosa suggests that in most patients in this series, the mutation of the APC gene did not participate in the oncogenesis mechanism.

Introduction The fistulizing form of Crohn's disease (CD) represents a great challenge regarding treatment, especially perianal fistulas, for its high prevalence.

Objective To assess factors related to the response to surgical treatment associated with anti-TNF inpatients with CD and perianal fistulas.

Method Retrospective study of patients with CD and perianal fistulas who used IFX or ADA in association with surgical treatment.

Results 30 patients with a mean age of 35 years were studied; 16 were treated with ADA (9 ADA + AZA) and 14 with IFX (10 IFX + AZA); ten of those treated with ADA responded, and of the six non-respondents, only one responded to IFX; eight responded to IFX, and among those non-respondents, no one showed response with ADA; among the respondents, there were 10 men and nine women; of those non-respondents, eight were men and 3 women; of those under 40 years, 16 responded compared with only three non-respondents; of those over 40 years, three responded versus eight non-respondents; as to the time elapsed between the onset of the disease and the beginning of anti-TNF, 14 (<2 years), one (2–5 years) and four (>5 years) responded, and five (<2 years), four (2–5 years) and two (>5 years) were non-respondents.

Conclusion There was no difference in response between the anti-TNF agents used; a better response was noted in those who used anti-TNF in combination with azathioprine, among women, in those under 40 years and in those treated within two years of the onset of the disease.