Anal fissure medical therapy

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Amandeep Singh M.D.[2]

Overview

Medical Therapy

  • For many years up until 1995, customary treatment included warm baths, topical anesthetics, stool bulking agents, mechanical anal stretching, and, sometimes, surgery. In 1995, doctors began using nitroglycerine cream (topical 1 percent isosorbide dinitrate) but found it less acceptable for long-term use due to patients developing a tolerance to the drug. In 1998, Italian researchers reported injecting botulinum toxin into the anal sphincter to promote healing by relieving anal spasm through relaxation of the muscle.
  • Most common cause of anal fissure is straining when constipated. For treatment of constipation, click here

Symptomatic

  • Most anal fissures are shallow or superficial (less than a quarter of an inch or 0.64 cm deep). These fissures self-heal within a couple of weeks. Furthermore, the treatment used for hemorrhoid such as eating a high-fiber diet, using a stool softener, taking a painkiller and having a sitz bath can help.
  • Preferred regimen, Sitz bath: anus to be immersed in warm water for 10-15 minutes q8-12h.[1][2][3]

Pediatric

  • Anal fissures in infants usually self-heal without anything more than frequently changing diapers and treating constipation if it is the cause.

Chemical Sphincterotomy

  • Painful deep chronic fissures, will not heal because of poor blood supply caused by sphincter spasm. Traditionally, surgical operations were required which are both painful and associated with various long-term complications, particularly incontinence in a small proportion of cases.
  • Local application of medications to relax the sphincter muscle, thus allowing the healing to proceed, was first proposed in 1994 with nitroglycerine ointment,[4][5][6] in 1999 with nifedipine ointment,[7][8] and the following year with topical diltiazem.[9]
  • Botulinum toxin injection, administered by colorectal surgeons, can also be used to relax the sphincter muscle and its use for this condition was first investigated in 1993.[10] Combination of medical therapies may offer up to 98% cure rates.[11] These medical treatments are used as first line therapy in treating chronic anal fissures,[12] although a Cochrane Collaboration review of published research has questioned the effectiveness of medical treatments compared to surgery.[13]

Topical medical therapy

The topical therapy is the first line of treatment along with dietary and other conservative measures. Analgesia and vasodilators are chiefly used for the topical management.[3][14][15][16][17][18]

Topical analgesic

  • Preferred regimen: Lidocaine jelly 2-5% to be applied locally as needed.

Topical vasodilators

  • Preferred regimen (1): Nitroglycerin 0.2 or 0.4% ointment to be applied rectally q12h for 8 weeks.
  • Preferred regimen (2): Nifedipine 0.2-0.3% ointment to be applied topically q6-12h.
  • Alternative regimen (1): Diltiazem 2% rectal gel q8h for 8 weeks.
  • Alternative regimen (2): Bethanechol 0.1% rectal gel q8h for 8 weeks.

References

  1. Wald A, Bharucha AE, Cosman BC, Whitehead WE (2014). "ACG clinical guideline: management of benign anorectal disorders". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 109 (8): 1141–57, (Quiz) 1058. doi:10.1038/ajg.2014.190. PMID 25022811.
  2. Gupta P (2006). "Randomized, controlled study comparing sitz-bath and no-sitz-bath treatments in patients with acute anal fissures". ANZ J Surg. 76 (8): 718–21. doi:10.1111/j.1445-2197.2006.03838.x. PMID 16916391.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Jensen SL (1986). "Treatment of first episodes of acute anal fissure: prospective randomised study of lignocaine ointment versus hydrocortisone ointment or warm sitz baths plus bran". Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 292 (6529): 1167–9. PMC 1340178. PMID 3011180.
  4. Loder P, Kamm M, Nicholls R, Phillips R (1994). "'Reversible chemical sphincterotomy' by local application of glyceryl trinitrate". Br J Surg. 81 (9): 1386–9. PMID 7953427.
  5. Watson S, Kamm M, Nicholls R, Phillips R (1996). "Topical glyceryl trinitrate in the treatment of chronic anal fissure". Br J Surg. 83 (6): 771–5. PMID 8696736.
  6. Simpson J, Lund J, Thompson R, Kapila L, Scholefield J (2003). "The use of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) in the treatment of chronic anal fissure in children". Med Sci Monit. 9 (10): PI123–6. PMID 14523338.
  7. Antropoli C, Perrotti P, Rubino M, Martino A, De Stefano G, Migliore G, Antropoli M, Piazza P (1999). "Nifedipine for local use in conservative treatment of anal fissures: preliminary results of a multicenter study". Dis Colon Rectum. 42 (8): 1011–5. PMID 10458123.
  8. Katsinelos P, Kountouras J, Paroutoglou G, Beltsis A, Chatzimavroudis G, Zavos C, Katsinelos T, Papaziogas B (2006). "Aggressive treatment of acute anal fissure with 0.5% nifedipine ointment prevents its evolution to chronicity". World J Gastroenterol. 12 (38): 6203–6. PMID 17036396.
  9. Carapeti E, Kamm M, Phillips R (2000). "Topical diltiazem and bethanechol decrease anal sphincter pressure and heal anal fissures without side effects". Dis. Colon Rectum. 43 (10): 1359–62. PMID 11052511.
  10. Jost W, Schimrigk K (1993). "Use of botulinum toxin in anal fissure". Dis Colon Rectum. 36 (10): 974. PMID 8404394.
  11. Tranqui P, Trottier D, Victor C, Freeman J (2006). "Nonsurgical treatment of chronic anal fissure: nitroglycerin and dilatation versus nifedipine and botulinum toxin" (PDF). Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie. 49 (1): 41–5. PMID 16524142.
  12. Haq Z, Rahman M, Chowdhury R, Baten M, Khatun M (2005). "Chemical sphincterotomy--first line of treatment for chronic anal fissure". Mymensingh Med J. 14 (1): 88–90. PMID 15695964.
  13. Nelson R (2006). "Non surgical therapy for anal fissure". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (4): CD003431. PMID 17054170.
  14. Davies D, Bailey J (2017). "Diagnosis and Management of Anorectal Disorders in the Primary Care Setting". Prim. Care. 44 (4): 709–720. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2017.07.012. PMID 29132530.
  15. Schlichtemeier S, Engel A (2016). "Anal fissure". Aust Prescr. 39 (1): 14–7. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.007. PMC 4816871. PMID 27041801.
  16. Carapeti EA, Kamm MA, Phillips RK (2000). "Topical diltiazem and bethanechol decrease anal sphincter pressure and heal anal fissures without side effects". Dis. Colon Rectum. 43 (10): 1359–62. PMID 11052511.
  17. Knight JS, Birks M, Farouk R (2001). "Topical diltiazem ointment in the treatment of chronic anal fissure". Br J Surg. 88 (4): 553–6. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2168.2001.01736.x. PMID 11298624.
  18. Jonas M, Speake W, Scholefield JH (2002). "Diltiazem heals glyceryl trinitrate-resistant chronic anal fissures: a prospective study". Dis. Colon Rectum. 45 (8): 1091–5. PMID 12195195.

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