Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome presenting as polypoid mass lesions in a young girl

Rectal bleeding as a symptom of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome mimicking rectal neoplasm on colonoscopy: A case report

Patients complaining of rectal bleeding, constipation, and a suspicious mass in colonoscopy should undergo biopsy. Histological features such as fibromuscular obliteration in the lamina propria favor SRUS, a benign disorder.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome in children and adolescents: a descriptive clinicopathologic study

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is an uncommon disorder of the rectum. While benign, it can cause concern for patients and affect quality of life. Reported studies on SRUS worldwide are scarce. The aim of this study is to describe the clinicopathologic characteristics of SRUS in a cohort of children based in Saudi Arabia. In this study, children with a confirmed diagnosis of SRUS at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) were included, during the period November 2003 to November 2017. Data were collected from hospital medical records. The study comprised twenty-one patients: 17 males (81%) and 4 females (19%); the median age was 11.4 years (range, 5.43-17.9 years). The most common presenting symptoms were rectal bleeding in 21 patients (100%), passage of mucus in 16 (76.1%), abdominal pain in 14 (66.6%), constipation in 13 (61.9%), straining in 9 (42.9%), and rectal prolapse in 5 (23.8%). The most common finding at initial colonoscopy was a single ulcer in 7 patients (33.3%), multiple ulcers in 6 (28.5%), polypoid lesions in 5 (23.8%), and hyperemic mucosa in 3 (14.2%). All patients received medical treatment and 14 (81%) continued to manifest one or more of the symptoms following treatment, which required subsequent modification of the treatment course. None of the patients required surgery. In conclusion, the study found rectal bleeding to be the most common presentation, with a single ulcer being the most prevalent lesion in endoscopy. Treatment response was variable, but almost half of patients reported relief of symptoms following treatment.

Rectal mucosal prolapse with an emphasis on endoscopic ultrasound appearance

AIM

The diagnosis of mucosal prolapse syndrome (MPS) continues to be a challenge. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is of clinical value in anorectal diseases. This study seeks to investigate the use of EUS in the diagnosis of MPS.

METHODS

A total of 39 patients diagnosed with MPS between June 2015 to December 2019 were included in this study. Their clinical histories, endoscopic images, EUS images, and pathological data were retrospectively collected, and the EUS images were reviewed to summarize the characteristics of MPS.

RESULTS

In total, 39 MPS patients were enrolled. The main presenting symptoms were bleeding (61.5%) and constipation (53.8%). Gross appearance of the rectal lesions was mainly classified into three types: 51.3% of the lesions were polypoidal/nodular, 33.3% were ulcerative and 15.4% were flat with erythematous mucosa only. A total of 10 patients underwent EUS operation. With regard to the EUS appearance of MPS, four patients with polypoidal/nodular lesions showed thickening of the mucosa on EUS. The diffuse thickening of the mucosa-submucosa layer and disappearance of the architectural structure was observed in four patients with ulcerative lesions. Finally, the thickening of the muscularis propria was observed in two flat lesions. The serosal layers were intact in all the MPS patients. Neither blood flow signals nor regional lymph nodes were observed on EUS.

CONCLUSION

The EUS characteristics for MPS corresponding to different gross appearance can be classified into three types. These findings suggest that EUS is useful in the diagnosis of MPS.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of medical treatments for the management of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome

BACKGROUND/AIM

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a benign, poorly understood disorder that is difficult to manage. Medical interventions such as sucralfate, sulfasalzine, human fibrin, and a high fibre diet are reported as the first line of treatment. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of medical treatments for SRUS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Databases including PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase were searched for randomised clinical trials (RCT) and observational studies that evaluated medical treatments for SRUS. Two authors independently performed selection of eligible studies based on eligiblity criteria. Data extraction from potentially eligible studies was carried out according to predefined data collection methods. Medical treatments, including sucralfate, sulfasalzine, human fibrin, a high fibre diet, and psyllium powder as a single or combination therapy were compared to placebo alone or combined with other treatments. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with ulcer remission; this was presented as pooled prevalence (PP) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The I² value and Q statistic test were used to test for heterogeneity. In the presence of heterogeneity, a random-effects model was applied.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies with 216 patients (males = 118, females = 98) diagnosed with SRUS were analysed in the final meta-analysis. The pooled effect estimate of treatment efficacy revealed that, of the patients receiving medical treatment, 57% had resolution of their ulcers (PP 0.57; 95% CI; 0.41 to 0.73). Statistically significant heterogeneity was observed (I² = 63%; τ2 = 0.64, P= <0.01). The scarcity of RCTs comparing medical treatments with other interventions was a major limitation.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of patients receiving medical treatment for the management of SRUS experience resolution of their ulcers.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: Is it really a rare condition in children?

AIM: To evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of the children with solitary rectal ulcer.

METHODS: Fifty-five children with a confirmed diagnosis of solitary rectal ulcer were studied in a period of 11 years from March 2003 to March 2014. All data were collected from the patients, their parents and medical records in the hospital.

RESULTS: From 55 studied patients, 41 were male (74.5%) and 14 female (25.5%). The mean age of the patients was 10.4 ± 3.7 years and the average time period from the beginning of symptoms to diagnosis of solitary rectal ulcer was 15.5 ± 11.2 mo. The most common clinical symptoms in our patients were rectal bleeding (n = 54, 98.2%) and straining during defecation or forceful defecation (n = 50, 90.9%). Other symptoms were as follows respectively: Sense of incomplete evacuation (n = 34, 61.8%), mucorrhea (n = 29, 52.7%), constipation (n = 14, 25.4%), tenesmus and cramping (n = 10, 18.2%), diarrhea (n = 9, 16.4%), and rectal pain (n = 5, 9.1%). The colonoscopic examination revealed 67.3% ulcer, 12.7% polypoid lesions, 10.9% erythema, 7.3% both polypoid lesions and ulcer, and 1.8% normal. Most of the lesions were in the rectosigmoid area at a distance of 4-6 cm from the anal margin. Finally, 69.8% of the patients recovered successfully with conservative, medical and surgical management.

CONCLUSION: The study revealed that solitary rectal ulcer is not so uncommon despite what was seen in previous studies. As the most common symptom was rectal bleeding, clinicians and pathologists should be familiar with this disorder and common symptoms in order to prevent its complications with early diagnosis.

A rare cause of severe rectal bleeding: solitary rectal ulcer syndrome

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome is a rare benign disorder in children which often goes unrecognized or easily misdiagnosed with other common diseases. It usually presents with rectal bleeding, constipation, mucous discharge, prolonged straining, tenesmus, and lower abdominal pain. The rectal bleeding varies from a little fresh blood to severe hemorrhage that requires blood transfusion. We report herein a pediatric case of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome who admitted to pediatric emergency department with severe rectal bleeding for reminding this rare syndrome.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome in children: a report of six cases

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a rare, benign disorder in children that usually presents with rectal bleeding, constipation, mucous discharge, prolonged straining, tenesmus, lower abdominal pain, and localized pain in the perineal area. The underlying etiology is not well understood, but it is secondary to ischemic changes and trauma in the rectum associated with paradoxical contraction of the pelvic floor and the external anal sphincter muscles; rectal prolapse has also been implicated in the pathogenesis. This syndrome is diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and endoscopic and histological findings, but SRUS often goes unrecognized or is easily confused with other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, amoebiasis, malignancy, and other causes of rectal bleeding such as a juvenile polyps. SRUS should be suspected in patients experiencing rectal discharge of blood and mucus in addition to previous disorders of evacuation. We herein report six pediatric cases with SRUS.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome in children: A literature review

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a benign and chronic disorder well known in young adults and less in children. It is often related to prolonged excessive straining or abnormal defecation and clinically presents as rectal bleeding, copious mucus discharge, feeling of incomplete defecation, and rarely rectal prolapse. SRUS is diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and endoscopic and histological findings. The current treatments are suboptimal, and despite correct diagnosis, outcomes can be unsatisfactory. Some treatment protocols for SRUS include conservative management such as family reassurance, regulation of toilet habits, avoidance of straining, encouragement of a high-fiber diet, topical treatments with salicylate, sulfasalazine, steroids and sucralfate, and surgery. In children, SRUS is relatively uncommon but troublesome and easily misdiagnosed with other common diseases, however, it is being reported more than in the past. This condition in children is benign; however, morbidity is an important problem as reflected by persistence of symptoms, especially rectal bleeding. In this review, we discuss current diagnosis and treatment for SRUS.

The clinical, endoscopic and histological spectrum of the solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: a single-center experience of 116 cases

Background

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is an uncommon although benign defecation disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variable endoscopic manifestations of SRUS and its association with other diseases.

Methods

All the patients diagnosed with SRUS histologically from January 1990 to February 2011 at The Aga Khan University, Karachi were included in the study. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively to evaluate the clinical spectrum of the patients along with the endoscopic and histological findings.

Results

A total of 116 patients were evaluated. The mean age was 37.4 ± 16.6 (range: 13–80) years, 61 (53%) of the patients were male. Bleeding per rectum was present in 82%, abdominal pain in 49%, constipation in 23% and diarrhea in 22%. Endoscopically, solitary and multiple lesions were present in 79 (68%) and 33 (28%) patients respectively; ulcerative lesions in 90 (78%), polypoidal in 29 (25%), erythematous patches in 3 (2.5%) and petechial spots in one patient. Associated underlying conditions were hemorrhoids in 7 (6%), hyperplastic polyps in 4 (3.5%), adenomatous polyps in 2(2%), history of ulcerative colitis in 3 (2.5%) while adenocarcinoma of colon was observed in two patients. One patient had previous surgery for colonic carcinoma.

Conclusion

SRUS may manifest on endoscopy as multiple ulcers, polypoidal growth and erythematous patches and has shown to share clinicopathological features with rectal prolapse, proctitis cystica profunda (PCP) and inflammatory cloacogenic polyp; therefore collectively grouped as mucosal prolapse syndrome. This may be associated with underlying conditions such as polyps, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids and malignancy. High index of suspicion is required to diagnose potentially serious disease by repeated endoscopies with biopsies to look for potentially serious underlying conditions associated with SRUS.