ArticleWorld journal of clinical cases2019
Prevalence of anal fistula in the United Kingdom.
Article in World journal of clinical cases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Early diagnosis of Crohn's disease in patients presenting with a perianal fistula: systematic review and development of a perianal red flags index.Techniques in coloproctology · 2025Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Epidemiology and Outcomes Associated with Local Surgical and Intersphincteric Ligation Procedures for Complex Cryptoglandular Fistulas.Advances in therapy · 2023Pooled it
- Quality and content evaluation of anal fistula information on TikTok and Bilibili: A cross-sectional study.Medicine · 2026Article
- Five-year trends in proctological practice in Dubai: Insights from a high-volume referral centre.BMC surgery · 2026Article
- Observational
- Long-term outcomes of video-assisted anal fistula treatment.Surgical endoscopy · 2026Observational
- Spectrum and Management of Anorectal Disorders: A Retrospective Analysis From the United Arab Emirates.Cureus · 2026Article
- Article
- Unveiling the Intricate Causal Nexus Between 91 Circulating Inflammatory Proteins and Perianal Abscess Through a Comprehensive Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analysis.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Mid- and long-term functional outcomes of advancement flap for cryptoglandular perianal fistulas.Techniques in coloproctology · 2025Article
- Perianal Fistula; from Etiology to Treatment - A Review.Middle East journal of digestive diseases · 2024Review
- Clinical characterization of patients with anal fistula during follow-up of anorectal abscess: a large population-based study.Techniques in coloproctology · 2023Observational
- Clinical features and independent predictors of postoperative refractory trauma to anal fistula combined with T2DM: A propensity score-matched analysis-retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in surgery · 2023Article
- A Comparison of Different Surgical Treatments for Complex Anal Fistula: A Systematic Review.Cureus · 2022Review
- Risk of Anorectal Cancer Associated with Benign Anal Inflammatory Diseases: A Retrospective Matched Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Prevalence of anal fistulas: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Gastroenterology and hepatology from bed to bench · 2022Review
- Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine external washing in the treatment of postoperative wound of diabetes complicated with anal fistula: Study protocol of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center clinical trial.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Article
- Diagnostic Features of Perianal Fistula in Patients With Crohn's Disease: Analysis of a Japanese Claims Database.Crohn's & colitis 360 · 2021Article
- Fistulectomy and endorectal advancement flap repair for cryptoglandular anal fistula: recurrence and functional outcome over 10 years of follow-up.International journal of colorectal disease · 2021Article
- Surgical treatment for cryptoglandular and Crohn's perianal fistulas: Protocol of an umbrella review.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAnal fistula is a pathological connection between the anal canal and perianal skin, which most commonly develops from an infected anal crypt. While the majority of anal fistulas are idiopathic, they are also associated with Crohn's disease (CD) and other inflammatory conditions. The prevalence of anal fistula is estimated to be 1-2 per 10000 patients, but population-based studies on anal fistula epidemiology are limited and outdated.
aimTo assess the prevalence of anal fistula and relevant comorbidities, with and without CD in the United Kingdom and Europe.
methodsA retrospective population-representative observational cohort study was performed in The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a United Kingdom primary care database. Mid-year point prevalence of anal fistula was calculated on the first of July for each year between 2014 and 2017. Estimates were calculated for anal fistula overall and by CD status and standardized to the United Kingdom and European population. Prevalence of relevant comorbidities including lymphogranuloma venereum, hidradenitis suppurativa, anal presentation of sexually transmitted diseases, diabetes mellitus, and radiation in the pelvic area was reported.
resultsThe United Kingdom-standardized overall point prevalence of anal fistula was 1.80 (95%CI: 1.65-1.94) per 10000 patients in 2017, while the Europe standardized estimate was 1.83 (95%CI: 1.68-1.98) per 10000 patients. Both these standardized point prevalence estimates ranged from 1.89 to 2.36 between 2014-2016. The United Kingdom-standardized point prevalence of anal fistula without CD was 1.35 (95%CI: 1.23-1.48) per 10000 patients, while the Europe-standardized estimate was 1.39 (95%CI: 1.26-1.52) per 10000 patients. In contrast, the standardized point prevalence estimate of anal fistula with CD was lower for both United Kingdom and Europe (0.44; 95%CI United Kingdom: 0.37-0.52, 95%CI Europe: 0.37-0.51) per 10000 patients in 2017. In 2017, 19% of anal fistula patients without CD and 13% of anal fistula patients with CD had at least one relevant comorbidity. These results show that anal fistulas are infrequent in the general population. 24.5% of prevalent anal fistulas are associated with CD, but other potentially etiological comorbidities are rare.
conclusionThis real-world evidence study estimated the United Kingdom-standardized prevalence of anal fistula was 1.80 per 10000 patients in 2017. Approximately 25% of cases may be associated with CD, while other comorbidities are rare.
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