Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39674845›Full record

ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2025

Depression in patients with anorectal fistulas and anal fissures: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Andreas Krieg, Ernst W Kolbe, Michael Kaspari, Sarah Krieg, Sven H Loosen, Christoph Roderburg, Karel Kostev

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Association between pilonidal sinus disease and depression: a population-based cohort study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Andreas KriegDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and Proctology, Medical Campus OWL, University Hospital Herford, Ruhr University Bochum, Schwarzenmoorstr. 70, 32049, Herford, Germany. andreas.krieg@rub.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2496-1079
Ernst W KolbeDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and Proctology, Medical Campus OWL, University Hospital Herford, Ruhr University Bochum, Schwarzenmoorstr. 70, 32049, Herford, Germany.
Michael KaspariDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and Proctology, Medical Campus OWL, University Hospital Herford, Ruhr University Bochum, Schwarzenmoorstr. 70, 32049, Herford, Germany.
Sarah KriegDepartment of Inclusive Medicine, University Hospital Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Bielefeld University, 33617, Bielefeld, Germany.
Sven H LoosenDepartment of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, University Hospital Duesseldorf, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany.
Christoph RoderburgDepartment of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, University Hospital Duesseldorf, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany.
Karel KostevIQVIA, 60549, Frankfurt, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAnal fissures and anorectal fistulas are diseases often associated with significant pain and prolonged discomfort, resulting in a significantly reduced quality of life (QoL). They are not only a surgical problem but also have a profound psychosocial impact and influence on QoL. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of depression in patients with these pathologies and to highlight the need to address the psychosocial aspects of these diseases.

methodsData from the Disease Analyzer database of approximately 3,000 general practitioners in Germany were retrospectively analyzed. The retrospective cohort study included patients aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with anal fissure (n = 15,467) or anorectal fistula (n = 3,520) between January 2005 and December 2022 and propensity score matched individuals without these disorders (n = 94,935). The primary outcome was a diagnosis of depression within five years of the index date. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the association between the two anorectal diseases and depression.

resultsAfter 5 years of follow-up, 13.0% of patients with anal fissure and 12.3% of patients with anorectal fistula were diagnosed with depression, compared with 9.7-10.3% in the control group (p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed a significant association between both diseases and depression (anal fissure: HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.25-1.38; anorectal fistula: HR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.17-1.44).

conclusionThe results suggest that anal fissures or anorectal fistulas are significantly associated with a subsequent depression. This highlights the importance of multidisciplinary management that addresses both physical and psychosocial aspects to improve patient outcomes.

Indexed as

DepressionFissure in AnoQuality of LifeRectal FistulaAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPropensity ScoreRetrospective StudiesAnal fissureAnorectal fistulaChronic painDepressionPsychosocial impactQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID39674845
PMCPMC11919947

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.