Abstract

PASCUAL, I.; GARCIA-OLMO, D.; MARTINEZ-PUENTE, C.  and  PASCUAL-MONTERO, J. A.. Ultrasound findings in spontaneous and postoperative anal pain. Rev. esp. enferm. dig. [online]. 2008, vol.100, n.12, pp.764-767. ISSN 1130-0108.

Objective: to assess the use of endoanal ultrasounds to identify anal pain etiology in patients with either spontaneous or postoperative pain, and to review the most frequent causes. Methods: a descriptive study of ultrasound findings in patients with anal pain during the last six years was performed. All ultrasound scans were performed using a B&K Diagnostic Ultrasound System (Cheetah 2003, B&K Medical, Gentofte, Denmark) with a 7-MHz endoprobe providing 360º images. Results: ninety-five cases of anal pain were studied by endoanal ultrasonography. Sixty-seven cases of anal pain ocurred in patients with previous perineal or pelvic surgery: anal fissure (48), hemorrhoidectomy (12), episiotomy (4), fistula (2), and prostatectomy (1). After fissure surgery, incomplete sphincterotomy was the first cause of anal pain. Twenty-eight patients had no previous surgery, and more than 57.14% of them were found to have internal anal sphincter hypertrophy. Conclusions: patients with anal pain can be studied by endoanal ultrasounds in spite of the use of an endoprobe. With this exploration a cause of pain is found in 81.93% of cases. Internal anal sphincter hypertrophy is the most frequent finding associated with spontaneous anal pain.

Keywords : Endoanal ultrasounds; Fissure; Anal pain.

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