[Haemorrhoids are too often assumed and treated. Survey of 548 patients with anal discomfort]

Abstract

Background and objective: Anal complaints, caused not by haemorrhoids but by anal folds, fissures or perianal thrombosis, are probably too often and wrongly attributed to haemorrhoids by patients and self-treated. It was the aim of this study to find out how frequently patients with anal complaints make this false assumption and how successful their self treatment is.

Patients and methods: 458 consecutive patients referred between May and November 2001 with unclear abdominal and/or anal symptoms were investigated by a standardized questionnaire/interview, including any experience with wet compresses, haemorrhoidal ointments or results of a doctor's treatment of haemorrhoids. They were then examined by procto-coloscopy. The findings were documented on the questionnaire and the data stored in an computer.

Results: 344 of the 548 patients (63 %) believed that they had haemorrhoids, 184 (34 %) did not think so, and 20 (3 %) left the question unanswered. Haemorrhoids were found to be present in 18 % and 13 %, respectively. Bleeding, pain, itching and burning sensation around the anus were the most common symptoms in both groups. 151 of the 184 patients who did not think they had haemorrhoids (82 %) had been previously treated by a doctor for "haemorrhoids". 28 % of this group of patients and 36 % of those thought to have haemorrhoids had similar results with wet compresses, creams or ointments, and the two groups were also similar regarding the number found to have anal disease.

Conclusion: Since many patients who had wrongly thought to have haemorrhoids had "treated" them successfully with wet compresses, creams or ointments, their complaints cannot be relied upon diagnostically. Doctors should not be misled by patients' complaints into assuming the presence of haemorrhoids and treat them, because this would incur unnecessary cost and bring little success.