OBJECTIVETo evaluate the difference in the clinical therapeutic effects on anal fissure at Ⅰ and Ⅱ stages between the acupoint catgut embedding therapy and western medication.

METHODSSixty patients of anal fissure at Ⅰ and Ⅱ stages were randomized into an embedding therapy group and a western medication group, 30 cases in each one. In the embedding therapy group, the acupoint catgut embedding therapy was applied at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Changqiang (GV 1), bilateral Chengshan (BL 57) and Tigangxue (Extra), once a week. In the western medication group, the external inunctum on the wound was given with 0.2% nitroglycerin ointment, once every morning and evening a day. The treatment lasted for 4 weeks continuously in the two groups. The follow-up visit was done for 3 months after treatment. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and anal pain duration were observed and recorded before treatment and on the 3rd day and the 7th day of treatment separately. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, on the 3rd day and the 7th day of treatment, VAS score and anal pain duration were all reduced significantly as compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups (all<0.01). The differences in the embedding therapy gruop were better than those in the western medication group before and after treatment (<0.01,<0.05). In the 2nd and 4th weeks after treatment, the clinical therapeutic effects in the embedding therapy group were better than those in the western medication group (both<0.05). In 3-month follow-up, the recurrent case in the embedding therapy group was one, and the recurrent case in the western medication group was six.

CONCLUSIONSThe acupoint catgut embedding therapy is safe and effective in the treatment of anal fissure at Ⅰ and Ⅱ stages and its recurrent case is lower as compared with the treatment of western medication.