Botulinum toxin type A injections for treatment of chronic anal fissures

An anal fissure is one of the most common diseases of the anal canal with the incident rate of 20–23 cases per 1000 citizens. Most of acute anal fissures are healed spontaneously but a few of them can become chronic process. Chronic anal fissures are characterized by any two of the criteria: pain after defecation lasts longer than 3 months, sentinel pile is present, fibers of internal sphincter at the base of the anoderm.

The spasm of the internal sphincter is a guiding pathogenetic mechanism in the development of chronic anal fissures. It leads to circulatory disorder in the anoderm and non-healing wounds. Therefore, the treatment of anal fissures primarily must be focus on eliminating of internal sphincter spasms and then excising of fissures.

Recently, botulinum toxin type A injection in treatment of chronic anal fissures has become popular as a noninvasive method of eliminating internal sphincter spasms.

Botulinum toxin as a medical agent has been studied since the late 1960s. Botulinum toxin type A has been used to treat of various pathologies including coloproctology diseases for more than 40 years.

The botulinum toxin injections make the internal sphincter relax, and as a result create optimal conditions for healing chronic anal fissures.

Using of botulinum toxin type A does not cause dangerous complication. Fecal incontinence after using botulinum toxin is transitory.

The review describes the use of botulinum toxin type A injections to treat chronic anal fissures.

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