Abstract

ARROYO, A. et al. Treatment of proctalgia due to anal fissure. Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2007, vol.14, n.3, pp.204-210. ISSN 1134-8046.

Anal fissure is a split in the anoderm of the distal anal canal, characterized by severe anal pain on defecation and anal bleeding. Anal fissure is caused by a tear of the anoderm secondary to local ischemia associated to spasm of the internal anal sphincter. Treatments such as surgical or chemical sphincterotomy are effective, as over-coming spasm improves blood supply to the ischemic ulcer, leading to relief of symptoms and healing in the majority of cases. Current treatment of anal fissure continúes to be based on conventional surgical sphincterotomy. Because of the disability associated with surgery for anal fissure and the risk of incontinence, medical alternatives for surgery have been sought after. Most recently, pharmacologic methods that relax the anal smooth muscle, to accomplish reversibly what occurs in surgery, have been used to obtain fissure healing. We have reviewed the various treatments for anal fissure described in literature.

Keywords : Anal fissure; Treatment; Chemical sphincterotomy; Surgical sphincterotomy.

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