The controversy of surgical intervention for anal canal duplication in children

Abstract

Objective: since the first definition of anal canal little has been discovered about the etiology of this rare condition. We present four asymptomatic cases of anal canal duplication with diverse clinical and surgical findings. Methods: a retrospective chart review was performed on four infants presenting with asymptomatic anal canal duplication, born between 2014 and 2016. Clinical characteristics and pathologic findings of patients either by radiological imaging or pathology were evaluated. The primary outcome measure was the complications. Results: all patients were followed-up with physical examination and ultrasound for a mean of 3.5±1.0 years, lastly seen at the beginning of 2018. The female to male ratio was 3:1. Duplicate anal canal length varied between 12-20mm, and two of the four patients had a presacral cystic mass confirmed as a tail gut cyst following surgery. At follow-up, none of the patients had developed symptoms related to anal canal duplication, regardless of whether they had surgical intervention. Conclusion: though surgical management is the preferred treatment for anal canal duplication, it seems that patients who do not undergo surgery might remain free of symptoms, suggesting that surgical intervention may be unnecessary.