Plastic and reconstructive surgeries of the anal canal

Anal canal plasty is used to treat anal deformities, congenital defects and cosmetic disfigurements. The range of surgeries includes simple aesthetic procedures, as well as extensive sphincter reconstruction and anal strictureplasty. Plasty of hypertrophied anodermal folds is the most common cosmetic procedure. Anal deformations requiring surgical treatment include those causing anal canal deformation of functional importance. Perinatal injuries are the most common cause of this type of sphincter damage. Other include postoperative keyhole deformities and a ”gaping anus”. Another group of deformities includes anal stricture (postoperative, due to chronic inflammation in this region, post-traumatic or induced by radiation therapy) and lesions associated with the treatment of anal neoplasms. Surgical treatment of congenital anal defects is often initiated already in early childhood and performed by multidisciplinary teams led by paediatric surgeons. In the later period of treatment, these patients may require proctological interventions due to anal stricture or anal sphincter dysfunction as a result of surgeries. Plastic and reconstructive surgeries of the anal canal are mostly complex procedures requiring experience and should be performed in reference centres. Appropriate patient qualification and preparation for surgical treatment seem to be essential. Preoperative imaging and functional diagnosis is of key importance.

Anal Neoplasms, Presacral Tumors, and Rare Malignancies

An understanding of anal anatomy is essential for optimal management. Patients with anal lesions that appear suspicious or fail to respond to conventional therapy within a month should undergo a biopsy. Premalignant perianal lesions are managed with local excision. Epidermoid carcinoma of the anus is usually managed with chemoradiation. Presacral tumors are managed with excision. This review contains 11 figures, 7 tables, and 53 references. Key words: anal cancer, anterior sacral meningocele, basal cell carcinoma, chordoma, epidermoid carcinoma, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, retrorectal tumor

Incidence and Survival Patterns of Rare Anal Canal Neoplasms Using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Registry

Small cell, neuroendocrine tumors, and melanoma of the anus are rare. Limited data exist on the incidence and management for these rare tumors. A large, prospective, population-based database was used to determine incidence and survival patterns of rare anal neoplasms. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry was queried to identify patients diagnosed with anal canal neoplasms. Incidence and survival patterns were evaluated with respect to age, sex, race, histology, stage, and therapy. We identified 7078 cases of anal canal neoplasms: melanoma (n = 149), neuroendocrine (n = 61), and small cell neuroendocrine (n = 26). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n = 6842) served as the comparison group. Anal melanoma (AM) demonstrated the lowest survival rate at 2.5 per cent. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) demonstrated similar survival as SCC (10-year survival for regional disease of 25 and 22.3%, respectively). Ten-year survival of small cell NETs resembled AM (5.3 vs 2.5%). Age 60 years or older, sex, black race, stage, and surgery were independent predictors of survival. This study presents the largest patient series of rare anal neoplasms. NETs of the anal canal demonstrate similar survival patterns to SCC, whereas small cell NETs more closely resemble AM. Accurate histologic diagnosis is vital to determine treatment and surgical management because survival patterns can differ among rare anal neoplasms.