Hemorrhoid Complicated
By Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel
disease that affects the colon and rectum. In this disease,
the linings of the colon and rectum become inflamed and develop
sores or ulcers.
About 20% of patients with ulcerative colitis subsequently
develop hemorrhoid. It is thought that this is due to chronic
and often bloody diarrhea, one of the main symptoms of the
disease.
Does Increased
Sphincter Muscle Tone Cause Hemorrhoid?
It has been suggested that in addition the physical injury
to rectal veins by the diarrhea itself, patients who suffer
from chronic diarrhea can develop increased muscle tone in
their anal sphincter muscle. Since venous blood circulation
occurs when this muscle is relaxed, having it toned up actually
encourages blood to pool in the rectal tissue.
To decrease the sphincter muscle tone, a manual stretching
procedure called anal dilation
and even the surgical cutting of the sphincter muscle or sphincterotomy
have been suggested. Today, however, these treatments have
fallen out of favor (they were never popular to begin with),
especially because people with ulcerative colitis need their
sphincter muscle to help control diarrhea.
Treatment for
Hemorrhoid with Ulcerative Colitis
The preferred treatments for hemorrhoid complicated with ulcerative
colitis are sclerotherapy and rubber banding as they seem
to have low complication rates of 4%.
Hemorrhoidectomy
or hemorrhoid surgery should be avoided whenever possible,
because it reduces anal canal sensation (the ability to sense
touch, heat and cold) that is thought to help distinguish
the sensation of passing gas and feces. Hemorrhoid surgery
can also complicate surgical treatments for ulcerative colitis,
such panproctocolectom (total removal of the anus, rectum,
colon and sometimes even parts of the small intestine), followed
by ileal pouch reconstruction (using parts of the small intestine
to form a new rectum).
More info on ulcerative colitis:
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