[PATE 2000 Sorrento: a modern, effective instrument for defining haemorrhoids. A multicentre observational study conducted in 930 symptomatic patients].

In 2000, the Italian Society of Coloproctology and the UCP (Coloproctology Units) devised a new haemorrhoid classification system, named PATE 2000 Sorrento, which is capable of defining all the main characteristics of the disease. Any new system should be able to predict the real extent of hemorrhoids by means of a specific index in order to help physicians in choosing the best therapeutic option. The authors present the results of a national multicentre study of 930 patients with symptomatic haemorrhoids. Nineteen patients (2%) could not be classified with the old haemorrhoid classification, while PATE 2000 Sorrento proved successful in classifying all patients. The difference was statistically significant. The new classification enables us to establish a specific score for the disease. In order to better evaluate the clinical impact of the scores obtained with PATE 2000 Sorrento, the authors analyzed the correlation between the score itself and the therapy chosen by each individual centre. The highest scores always corresponded to the choice of surgical hemorrhoidectomy, while in the case of lower values each centre seemed to be in doubt between medical therapy and other less invasive procedure such as sclerotherapy or rubber band ligation. These data were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). On the basis of our findings, PATE 2000 Sorrento seems to confirm its scientific and clinical relevance and could be a useful tool for the choice of the best treatment for each individual patient.