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The article presents abridged abstracts from medical literature on topics including colorectal cancer surgery in the elderly, a comparison of external beam radiation and brachytherapy for prostate cancer, and the effect of systemic corticosteroids on elective left-sided colorectal resection.

The article presents abstracts on diseases of the colon and rectum including "Risk factors for fecal and urinary incontinence after childbirth: the childbirth and pelvic symptoms study," "Long-term outcome of a multicenter randomized clinical trial of stapled haemorroidopexy versus Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy," and "Risk of colorectal cancer in juvenile polyposis."

The article presents abstracts on medical research which include "Case-control study supports extension of surveillance interval after colonoscopic polypectomy to at least five years," "Chemotherapy-induced normalization of FDG uptake by colorectal liver metastases does not usually indicate complete pathologic response" and "Intensive training over five days improves colonoscopy skills long-term."

Certain factors in a patient's history, such as prior abdominal surgery or complicated diverticular disease, have been reported to hinder cecal intubation during colonoscopy. Over a 16-month period, 1,047 consecutive colonoscopies were prospectively evaluated to determine whether these factors were indeed clinically relevant.Of the 90 patients (9 percent) who had incomplete intubation of the colon, there were significantly more women (66 percent) than men (34 percent) (P <0.001). Women with a history of abdominal hysterectomy had a significantly lower cecal intubation rate (P < 0.01). A history of diverticulitis did not alter the cecal intubation rate. In patients with incomplete colonic intubation, the most proximal extent of intubation was the sigmoid colon in women (31 percent) and the right colon in men (68 percent). Sixty-seven percent of patients with incomplete intubation of the colon had a prior colonoscopy completed to the cecum (67 percent women, 67 percent men), whereas 50 percent had a follow-up colonoscopy completed to the cecum (56 percent women, 40 percent men).Women, especially those with a history of abdominal hysterectomy, had a significantly lower cecal intubation rate usually because of an impassable sigmoid colon. Prior inability to complete colonoscopy to the cecum does not necessarily forecast future failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controversy exists as to whether fissure patients have elevated resting pressures when compared with control patients. The diameter of manometry catheters used in past studies varies widely (1.5-25 mm) and may have contributed to differences observed in resting pressures. A prospective study was undertaken to determine the influence of manometry catheter diameter on maximum resting pressure in patients with idiopathic chronic anal fissures.A total of 28 fissure patients and 28 control patients had manometry performed with both a 1.8-mm and a 4.8-mm (external diameter) water-perfused catheter.Mean maximum resting pressure (RP) for fissure patients as measured with the 1.8-mm catheter was 86 (range, 65-115) mmHg and 83 (range, 47-117) mmHg with the 4.8-mm catheter (P=0.65). Mean maximum RP for control patients with the 1.8-mm catheter was 70 (range, 30-108) mmHg and 72 (range, 35-109) mmHg with the 4.8-mm catheter (P=0.07). When fissure and control patients were compared, a significantly higher mean RP was observed in the fissure group for both the 1.8-mm catheter (86 vs. 70 mmHg, respectively; P=0.01) and the 4.8-mm catheter (83 vs. 72 mmHg, respectively; P=0.03). There was no significant difference in length of the high-pressure zone within each group or when the fissure group and controls were compared, regardless of catheter used. For both groups of patients, there was a significantly higher incidence of ultraslow waves (USWs) observed with the 4.8-mm catheter when compared with the 1.8-mm catheter. The USW frequency was not significantly different when fissure and control groups were compared with either catheter type.Catheter size did not influence measured maximum RP in fissure patients. The maximum RP was significantly greater for fissure patients overall when compared with the control group, regardless of catheter used. There was an increased frequency of USWs noted with the larger catheter size in all patients; however, these USWs only became apparent when catheter was left at each station until a true baseline RP was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing intubation of the cecum can be a laborious, frustrating, and sometimes erroneous endeavor. Following confirmed colonoscopic intubation of the cecum, the presence of three anatomic landmarks (alone and in combination) were evaluated to precisely define their reliability.Between February 1991 and January 1992, 771 of 904 consecutive colonoscopic examinations were completed to the cecum as confirmed by fluoroscopy.All three cecal landmarks studied (ileocecal valve, appendiceal orifice, and transillumination) were present in 64 percent of patients, and two landmarks were seen in 32 percent (96 percent of patients had multiple landmarks). The ileocecal valve was the most reliable cecal landmark (98 percent), followed by the appendiceal orifice (87 percent) and transillumination through the abdominal wall (75 percent).The ileocecal valve is the most reliable cecal landmark and is invariably visualized, even when all other cecal landmarks are obscure. Although other cecal landmarks are usually identifiable, they are most valuable when found in association with the ileocecal valve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1979 through 1991, four patients of 631 admissions (0.6 percent) for Crohn's disease in Erie, Pennsylvania, presented with life-threatening gastrointestinal hemorrhage. These and 34 similar cases from the medical literature were reviewed to provide a composite of those at risk and elucidate appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers.The study revealed a preponderance of young men (2:1 ratio) with an average age of 35 (range, 14-89) years, the majority of whom had known Crohn's disease (60 percent) for an average of 4.6 (range, 0-18) years. The site of bleeding resembled the general distribution for Crohn's disease, with small bowel disease predominating (66 percent involved the ileum). The five cases of exsanguination (13 percent of the total) were all men with known Crohn's disease (average, 58 years) involving the ileum alone or in part. Mesenteric arteriography was positive in 17 patients, providing precise preoperative localization resulting in no mortality in this group. Excluding those who presented with exsanguination, surgery was necessary to cease hemorrhage in 91 percent (30/33) of patients. Ileocolectomy was the most frequently performed procedure (53 percent). In follow-up, only one patient required further surgical resection for recurrent bleeding (3.5 percent), and two other patients (7 percent) required further therapy for nonhemorrhagic recurrence.Crohn's disease may be responsible for life-threatening gastrointestinal hemorrhage and even exsanguination. Many of the characteristics of these patients resemble the general Crohn's disease population. Surgical resection provides excellent palliation. A long-term benign course can be expected in this subgroup of Crohn's disease patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the predictive accuracy of Goodsall's rule, the records of 216 patients (155 men and 61 women) who underwent surgery for complete submuscular anal fistulas from 1982 to 1989 were retrospectively reviewed. In accordance with Goodsall's rule, 90 percent of 124 patients with an external opening posterior to the transverse anal line had anal fistulas tracking to the midline (87 percent men arid 97 percent women). Only 49 percent of the 92 patients with an external opening anterior to the transverse anal line had anal fistulas that tracked in the radial fashion predicted by Goodsall (57 percent men and 31 percent women). Instead, 71 percent of these patients (62 percent men and 90 percent women) had anterior fistulas tracking to the midline. Overall, 81 percent (77 percent men and 93 percent women) of patients had complete submuscular anal fistulas that coursed to the midline (51 percent midline posterior and 30 percent midline anterior). In summary, Goodsall's rule is accurate only when applied to complete submuscular anal fistulas with posterior external anal openings. The rule is inaccurate in describing the course of complete submuscular anal fistulas with an anterior external opening. The men in this group had anal fistulas that defied Goodsall's rule in an unpredictable manner, whereas 90 percent of the women had fistulas tracking to a midline anterior origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seton has been useful in the treatment of complex anal fistulas. Various complicated methods to enhance the advancement of the seton through the external sphincter muscles have been described. We use a common office implement, the rubber band ligator, to manage the seton in an outpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]