Purpose: Rectal prolapse is hypothesized to be caused due to weakness of the pelvic floor which is related to childbearing. However, half of the female patients with rectal prolapse were reported to be nulliparous and this hypothesis doesn’t explain the prolapse in males. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of rectal redundancy in rectal prolapse pathophysiology. Methods: This study was conducted prospectively. Fourteen patients who underwent rectopexy were included in the study group. A total of 17 patients who underwent laparotomy for another reason and who have no symptoms regarding rectal prolapse were included in the control group. In order to measure the redundancy of the rectum, we have calculated the ratio of length of intraperitoneal rectum (R) to length of distance between promontorium and peritoneal reflection (PRx). The primary outcome of this study was to evaluate whether the R/PRx ratio is higher in patients with rectal prolapse compared to the control group. Results: Comparing the anatomic features showed that the length of sigmoid colon and length of PRx were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the length of intraperitoneal rectum was significantly higher in the prolapse group. Furthermore, the median R/PRx ratio in the prolapse group was significantly higher than in the control group. Conclusion This study showed that intraperitoneal rectum in patients with rectal prolapse is significantly more redundant than in the normal population. This could be considered reasonable evidence for the role of rectal redundancy on rectal prolapse pathophysiology.

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a rare genetic disease consisting of the triad of oculocutaneous albinism, bleeding diathesis, and pigmented reticuloendothelial cells. In HPS patients’ granulomatous colitis could be an additional feature and perianal abscess could be seen in such patients. We report a patient with HPS-associated granulomatous colitis, refractory to medical treatment, and perianal involvement. Patients with HPS-associated granulomatous colitis and perianal involvement may require multiple surgical interventions and there is no consensus yet for treatment in such patients.

PURPOSE: Although rectal cancer is a very common malignancy and has an improved cure rate in response to oncological treatment, research on rectal-cancer survivors' sexual function remains limited. Sexual dysfunction (SD) after rectal cancer treatment was measured, and possible predisposing factors that may have an impact on the development of this disorder were identified. METHODS: Patients undergoing curative rectal cancer surgery from January 2012 to September 2013 were surveyed using questionnaires. The female sexual function index or the International Index of Erectile Function was recorded. A multiple logistic regression was used to test associations of clinical factors with outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-six men (56%) and 28 women (44%) who completed the questionnaire were included in the study. A total of 76 patients of the 86 patients (90.5%) with the diagnosis of rectal cancer who were included in this study reported different levels of SD after radical surgery. A total of 64 patients (76%) from the whole cohort reported moderate to severe SD after treatment of rectal cancer. Gender (P = 0.011) was independently associated with SD. Female patients reported significantly higher rates of moderate to severe SD than male patients. Patients were rarely treated for dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Sexual problems after surgery for rectal cancer are common, but patients are rarely treated for SD. Female patients reported higher rates of SD than males. These results point out the importance of sexual (dys)function in survivors of rectal cancer. More attention should be drawn to this topic for clinical and research purposes.
Causality ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Survivors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Lymph-node metastasis is the most important predictor of survival in stage III rectal cancer. The number of metastatic lymph nodes may vary depending on the level of specimen dissection and the total number of lymph nodes harvested. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the lymph node ratio (LNR) is a prognostic parameter for patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review of a database of rectal cancer patients was performed to determine the effect of the LNR on the disease-free survival (DFS) and the overall survival. Of the total 228 patients with rectal cancer, 55 patients with stage III cancer were eligible for analysis. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analyses, after adjustments for potential confounders, were used to evaluate the relationship between the LNR and survival. RESULTS: According to the cutoff point 0.15 (15%), the 2-year DFS was 95.2% among patients with a LNR < 0.15 compared with 67.6% for those with LNR > or = 0.15 (P = 0.02). In stratified and multivariate analyses adjusted for age, gender, histology and tumor status, a higher LNR was independently associated with worse DFS. CONCLUSION: This study showed the prognostic significance of ratio-based staging for rectal cancer and may help in developing better staging systems. LNR 0.15 (15%) was shown to be a cutoff point for determining survival and prognosis in rectal cancer cases.
Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Lymph-node metastasis is the most important predictor of survival in stage III rectal cancer. The number of metastatic lymph nodes may vary depending on the level of specimen dissection and the total number of lymph nodes harvested. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the lymph node ratio (LNR) is a prognostic parameter for patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review of a database of rectal cancer patients was performed to determine the effect of the LNR on the disease-free survival (DFS) and the overall survival. Of the total 228 patients with rectal cancer, 55 patients with stage III cancer were eligible for analysis. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analyses, after adjustments for potential confounders, were used to evaluate the relationship between the LNR and survival. RESULTS: According to the cutoff point 0.15 (15%), the 2-year DFS was 95.2% among patients with a LNR < 0.15 compared with 67.6% for those with LNR > or = 0.15 (P = 0.02). In stratified and multivariate analyses adjusted for age, gender, histology and tumor status, a higher LNR was independently associated with worse DFS. CONCLUSION: This study showed the prognostic significance of ratio-based staging for rectal cancer and may help in developing better staging systems. LNR 0.15 (15%) was shown to be a cutoff point for determining survival and prognosis in rectal cancer cases.
Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies