Treatment of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome with sucralfate enema

A systematic literature review on solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: is there a therapeutic consensus in 2018?

PURPOSE

To screen all treatments tested for solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) without rectal prolapse and to assess their efficacy.

METHOD

A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines, focusing on the treatment of SRUS without rectal prolapse. The types of treatment and their efficacy were collected and critically assessed.

RESULTS

A selection of 20 studies among the 470 publications focusing on SRUS provided suitable data for a total of 516 patients. Only 2 studies were randomised prospective trials that focused on argon plasma treatment. The mean follow-up was 21.8 months and ranged from 0.25 to 90 months. Most of the studies focused on surgery, including rectopexy, stapled transanal rectal resection, excision of the ulcer, the Delorme procedure, proctectomy, low anterior resection, and ostomy. Populations of the studies were heterogeneous and selected outcomes were specific (failure of medical or surgical treatment). Conservative treatment (high-fibre diet, laxatives, change of defecatory habits, and biofeedback treatment) induced a symptomatic improvement in 71/91 patients (63.6%) and healing of mucosal lesion in 17/51 patients (33.3%). Surgeries (all types) improved SRUS in 77% (54-100%) of patients. Argon plasma coagulation is a promising technique but longer follow-up is necessary.

CONCLUSIONS

The general quality of the studies focusing on the treatment of SRUS was poor due to the heterogeneity of the population, the sample size of the cohorts, and the heterogeneity of efficacy assessments. The therapeutic approach appears to be multimodal and multidisciplinary and validated in centres of expertise. Further studies evaluating multimodal strategies are needed.

Treatment of radiation-induced proctitis with sucralfate enemas

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of radiation-induced proctitis treated with sucralfate enemas.

CASE SUMMARY

A 77-year-old white woman was transferred from an acute care institution to our inpatient rehabilitation unit with impaired mobility and reduced activities of daily living. Her condition was secondary to myopathy and peripheral neuropathy associated with postradiation chemotherapy and metastatic ovarian carcinoma. During her stay, she developed hematochezia and pain secondary to a diagnosis of radiation-induced proctitis. Her hemoglobin had reached a nadir of 7.3 g/dL. The patient received blood transfusions and was started on 10% w/v sucralfate retention enemas 2 g/20 mL daily for 12 consecutive days. She was symptom-free at discharge, with a stable hemoglobin of approximately 10 g/dL.

DISCUSSION

Proctitis is a common adverse effect of radiotherapy to the lower abdomen and pelvic area. Sucralfate is an aluminum complex that acts as a local cytoprotective agent against ulceration of the gastrointestinal mucosal lining. Rectal administration of sucralfate, as described in our patient and reported in published case studies, may provide an alternative therapy for patients with radiation-induced proctitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Sucralfate suspension enemas provide a viable treatment option in patients who are intolerant of, refractory to, or not candidates for standard therapy for radiation-induced proctitis.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: the clinical entity and anorectal physiological findings in Singapore

The clinical pattern and physiological abnormalities in solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) occurring in Singapore, were investigated. Since April 1989, 25 patients have presented with histologically proven SRUS. There were 13 males and 12 females (20 Chinese, 4 Malay and 1 Indian) with a mean age of 47.5 (+/- 3.1) years. Ninety-six per cent presented with rectal bleeding, 92% strained at stools, 40% had mucus discharge, 40% felt incomplete defecation and 32% digitated to defecate. Four had previous haemorrhoidectomies that did not cure their symptoms. The lesions were at a mean 6.8 (+/- 0.5) cm above the anal verge, usually anteriorly (64%) but one was circumferential. Anorectal physiology performed on 14 patients was compared with 13 age and gender matched normal controls. The measured mean resting perineum level in SRUS (1.4 +/- 0.3 cm) was significantly lower than in normals (P < 0.01). The mean anal electrosensory threshold (2.5 +/- 0.52 mV) was also significantly higher than in the controls (P < 0.05). Fifteen patients were successfully treated with a high fibre diet and avoidance of straining. Three patients required surgery and the most recent seven patients have responded well to biofeedback treatment. Awareness of this uncommon anorectal condition is necessary for early diagnosis and appropriate management. The physiological findings support a pelvic straining pathophysiology resulting in perineal descent, with less sensitive rectal mucosa prolapsing into, and raising, the anal canal electrosensory threshold. Treatment strategies aimed at correcting the straining have usually been successful.

Atypical forms of inflammatory bowel disease

Atypical forms of IBD include the microscopic colitides, collagenous and lymphocytic colitis, and two macroscopic colitides, SRUS and diversion colitis. Clinical presentations include chronic, watery diarrhea and intermittant rectal bleeding. Constitutional symptoms are typically absent; laboratory data are often nonspecific. Colonoscopic evaluation and mucosal biopsy are essential in establishing these diagnoses and excluding more classic forms of IBD (i.e., Crohn's disease or idiopathic ulcerative colitis). Prognosis and response to treatment are variable; potential therapeutic options include dietary manipulations, topical or systemic anti-inflammatory agents, and, in refractory cases, surgical intervention.

Radiation-induced proctosigmoiditis. Prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial of oral sulfasalazine plus rectal steroids versus rectal sucralfate

In a prospective study, 37 consecutive patients with radiation-induced proctosigmoiditis were randomized to receive a four-week course of either 3.0 g oral sulfasalazine plus 20 mg twice daily rectal prednisolone enemas (group I, N = 18) or 2.0 g twice daily rectal sucralfate enemas plus oral placebo (group II, N = 19). The two groups were comparable with respect to demographic features, duration of symptoms, and clinical and endoscopic staging of the disease. Fifteen patients in group I and 17 in group II completed the trial. At four weeks, both groups showed significant clinical improvement (P less than 0.01 for group I and P less than 0.001 for group II) and endoscopic healing (P less than 0.01 for group I and P less than 0.001 for group II). When the two groups were compared, sucralfate enemas showed a significantly better response as assessed clinically (P less than 0.05), although endoscopically the response was not statistically different (P greater than 0.05). We conclude that both treatment regimens are effective in the management of radiation proctitis. Sucralfate enemas give a better clinical response, are tolerated better, and because of the lower cost should be the preferred mode of short-term treatment.