Amélie Chau1, Mathieu Prodeau1, Hélène Sarter2,3, Corinne Gower2,3, Moshe Rogosnitzky1, Yves Panis4, Philippe Zerbib5,6. 1. Digestive Surgery and Transplantation Unit, Hôpital Huriez, Lille Nord de France University, Lille University Medical Center, 59000, Lille, France. 2. Public Health, Epidemiology, Economic Health, and Biostatistics Unit, Registre Epimad, Maison Régionale de la Recherche Clinique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Régional, CS 70001, 59037, Lille CEDEX, France. 3. Lille Inflammation Research International Center LIRIC - UMR 995 Inserm/Université Lille 2/CHRU de Lille; Equipe « IBD and environmental factors: Epidemiology and functional analyses », Lille University, Lille, France. 4. Department of Colorectal Surgery, Pôle des Maladies de l'Appareil Digestif (PMAD), Beaujon Hospital, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université Denis Diderot (Paris VII), 100 boulevard du Général Leclerc, 92110, Clichy, France. 5. Digestive Surgery and Transplantation Unit, Hôpital Huriez, Lille Nord de France University, Lille University Medical Center, 59000, Lille, France. philippe.zerbib@chru-lille.fr. 6. Lille Inflammation Research International Center LIRIC - UMR 995 Inserm/Université Lille 2/CHRU de Lille; Equipe « IBD and environmental factors: Epidemiology and functional analyses », Lille University, Lille, France. philippe.zerbib@chru-lille.fr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Persistent perineal sinus (PPS) defined as a perineal wound remaining unhealed more than 6 months after abdominoperineal resection (APR) is a well-known complication. The aim of our study was (1) to evaluate the incidence of PPS after APR for Crohn's disease (CD) in the era of biotherapy, (2) to determine long-term outcome of PPS, (3) to study risk factors associated with delayed perineal healing, and (4) to compare the results in this CD patient group with patients without CD. METHODS: From 1997 to 2013, the records of patients who underwent APR for CD and for non-CD rectal cancer with or without radiochemotherapy at two French university hospitals were studied retrospectively. Perineal healing was evaluated by clinical examination at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: The cumulative probability of perineal wound unhealed at 6 and 12 months after surgery was 85 and 48%, respectively, for 81 patients who underwent APR for CD patients in contrast to 21 and 13%, respectively, for 25 non-CD patients with rectal cancer. Eight patients with CD (10%) remained with PPS after a median follow up of 4 years and spontaneous perineal healing occurred with time for all non-CD patients. Factors associated with delayed perineal healing in CD included age at surgery < 49 years (p = 0.001) and colonic-only Crohn's disease location (p = 0.045). Medical treatments had no significant impact on perineal healing. CONCLUSIONS: PPS beyond 6 months post-APR remains a frequent complication but mostly resolves over time. CD is a risk factor for developing PPS and factors associated with higher incidence of PPS were age at surgery < 49 years and colonic-only Crohn's disease location. Prevention of PPS in this population with muscle flap during APR deserves to be evaluated.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Persistent perineal sinus (PPS) defined as a perineal wound remaining unhealed more than 6 months after abdominoperineal resection (APR) is a well-known complication. The aim of our study was (1) to evaluate the incidence of PPS after APR for Crohn's disease (CD) in the era of biotherapy, (2) to determine long-term outcome of PPS, (3) to study risk factors associated with delayed perineal healing, and (4) to compare the results in this CDpatient group with patients without CD. METHODS: From 1997 to 2013, the records of patients who underwent APR for CD and for non-CD rectal cancer with or without radiochemotherapy at two French university hospitals were studied retrospectively. Perineal healing was evaluated by clinical examination at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: The cumulative probability of perineal wound unhealed at 6 and 12 months after surgery was 85 and 48%, respectively, for 81 patients who underwent APR for CDpatients in contrast to 21 and 13%, respectively, for 25 non-CDpatients with rectal cancer. Eight patients with CD (10%) remained with PPS after a median follow up of 4 years and spontaneous perineal healing occurred with time for all non-CDpatients. Factors associated with delayed perineal healing in CD included age at surgery < 49 years (p = 0.001) and colonic-only Crohn's disease location (p = 0.045). Medical treatments had no significant impact on perineal healing. CONCLUSIONS:PPS beyond 6 months post-APR remains a frequent complication but mostly resolves over time. CD is a risk factor for developing PPS and factors associated with higher incidence of PPS were age at surgery < 49 years and colonic-only Crohn's disease location. Prevention of PPS in this population with muscle flap during APR deserves to be evaluated.