Anal and Rectal Diseases (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Anorectal diseases

The rectum is the lower part of your large intestine where your body stores stool. The anus is the opening of the rectum through which stool passes out of your body. Problems with rectum and anus are common. They include hemorrhoids, abscesses, incontinence, and cancer of the rectum or anus.

Many people are embarrassed to talk about anal or rectal troubles. But seeing your doctor about problems in this area is important, especially if you have pain or bleeding. Treatments vary widely depending on the particular problem.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Overviews

Anal Disorders(InteliHealth) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9396.html
Rectal Problems(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/women/rectal.asp

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Anal Pain(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/anal-pain/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/
Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
Elimination Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/532.printerview.html
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/sigmoidoscopy/
Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract X-Ray (Barium Enema "BE")(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=lowergi
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=lowergi
Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lowergi/
Rectal Bleeding(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/rectal-bleeding/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
Virtual Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/virtualcolonoscopy/

Specific Conditions

Anal Fissure(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/anal_fissure/
Anal Fissure(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/anal-fissure/DS00762/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Anal Itching(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/anal-itching/DS00453/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Anal Warts(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/anal_warts/
Fecal Incontinence(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/fecalincontinence/index.htm
Fecal Incontinence(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/common-older/067.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/common-older/067.printerview.html
Proctitis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/proctitis/
Proctitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/proctitis/DS00705/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Pruritus-Ani(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/pruritus_ani/
Rectal Bleeding(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/rectal-bleeding/DG00015/METHOD=print
Rectal Prolapse(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/rectal_prolapse/
Rectocele(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/rectocele/
Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/rectal-ulcer/DS00694/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

Related Issues

Fiber: How to Increase the Amount in Your Diet(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/general-nutrition/099.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/food/improve/099.printerview.html
Foreign Objects(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch130/ch130f.html

Tutorials

Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm

Videos

If I Had - Bowel Control Issues(Insidermedicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.insidermedicine.com/Archives/If_I_Had_-_Bowel_Control_Issues_-_Dr_Niall_Galloway_MD_FRCS_2331.aspx?p=mdlnp
Surgisis AFP: Anal Fistula Plug(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=236

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Anus Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Anus+Diseases%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Fecal Incontinence(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Fecal+Incontinence%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Proctitis(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Proctitis%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectal Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Rectal+Diseases%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectal Prolapse(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Rectal+Prolapse%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectocele(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=rectocele

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Prevalence of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in US women. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18799443&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Anal fissure: a review. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18783093&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Clinical, physiological and radiological assessment of rectovaginal septum reinforcement with... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18720463&tool=MedlinePlus
Anal and Rectal Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=rectal+diseases[majr]+NOT+(colorectal+neoplasms[mh]+OR+hemorrhoids[majr])+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Medical Encyclopedia

rectal disorders - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=rectal+disorders

Directories

GI Physician Locator(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/phylocator.asp

Organizations

American College of Gastroenterology - http://www.acg.gi.org/
American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons - http://www.fascrs.org/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Women

Rectocele(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/rectocele/DS00704/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Anal Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/analcancer.html
Colorectal Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colorectalcancer.html
Hemorrhoids - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hemorrhoids.html
Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Anal and Rectal Diseases is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Anal and Rectal Diseases - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/analandrectaldiseases.html