Anorectal Abscess
Dr. Weyrich's Naturopathic Proctology Notebook
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Overview
An anorectal abscess is an extremely painful infection that produces a pus-filled sac under the skin of the anus or mucosa of the rectum. More serious forms may be found under the muscular layer.Signs and Symptoms
- Pain in the rectum or anus.
- Fever and possible elevation in white blood cell count.
- Swollen, warm, red induration.
Etiology
The origin of anorectal abscesses is not completely understood, but proposed causes include:- Secondary to cryptitis.
- Secondary to an enlarged papilla.
- Iatrogenic.
Treatment
Incision and drainage provides considerable relief from pain. Antibiotics alone are not sufficient, but may be used as an adjunct to incision and drainage.When performing an incision and drainage, precaution must be taken to prevent the premature healing of the opening. If the surgical incision heals over to quickly, remaining infection may become entrapped and lead to a relapse. In order to promote healing from the inside out, the incision at the superficial skin level may be purposely enlarged, or else a surgical wick or drain may be inserted in the incision.
Sequelae
If left untreated, the infection may spread to the perineum or lead to septicemia. These are medical emergencies. Alternatively, the abscess may rupture and drain spontaneously.Incision and drainage or spontaneous rupture may result in fistula formation, which requires further treatment.
ICD-9 Codes
| ICD9-Code | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 566 | Anorectal abscess | |
| 569.42 | Anorectal pain, unspecified origin |
References
Unless specifically noted above, references used in the construction of this web page include the following:[FDM] Lecture notes from Functional Medicine University.
[SCNM] Lecture notes from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
[UT] Lecture notes from the University of Tennessee graduate programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
[Shacket2009] ww w.hemorrhoid.net/abscess.php
Copyright © 2007-2010 Dr. Weyrich (Naturopathic Medical license number 07-1008). The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This web page is http://www.DrWeyrich.com/disorders/anorectal_abscess.html - Phone Dr. Weyrich at (480) 423-6952