Duration of the Sypmtoms Influence the Outcome after Botulinum Toxin Injection in Anal Fissure

Aim: To assess the effect of duration of the symptoms on outcome after botulinum toxin injection in anal fissure treatment. Method: Data of the patients who underwent botulinum toxin injection for chronic anal fissur were reviewed. Patients with a minimum follow-up of 18 months were included. One-hundred IU botulinum toxine was injected in the internal anal sphincter through 4 quadrants. Follow-up was carried out by clinic visits on post-procedure days 7, 15 and 30 and by telephone survey in 3, 6, 12 and 18th months. Refractory symptoms or recurrence were recorded as failure. The relationship between duration of the symptoms and failure was investigated and a cut-off value was determined. Patients were divided into two groups according to duration of the symtoms and outcome was compared with the patients who underwent lateral internal sphincterotomy within the same period. Results: There were 56 patients fulfilling inclusion criteria. Mean age was 33.1±9.4 and 39 (69.6%) patients were female. Presence of the symptoms longer than 8.5 months was predicting treatment failure (Area under curve: 0.721, confidence interval: 0.500-0.942, p=0.037). There were 38 patients in shorter symptoms group, 18 patients in longer sypmtoms group and 32 patients in lateral internal sphincterotomy group. The compelte healing rates after 21 (18-28) months of median survival were 61.1% in longer symptom botulinum toxin group, 94.7% in shorter symptom botulinum toxin group and 96.2% in lateral internal sphincterotomy group (p=0.003). One patient in botulinum toxin groups had local hematoma and one (3.1%) had minor incontinence in lateral internal sphincterotomy group. Conclusion: Botulinum toxin has similar outcome with lateral internal sphincterotomy in patients with shorter suration of sypmtoms. Proper patient selection may contribute to the success of the treatment in chronic anal fissur.