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Imaging of acute anorectal conditions with CT and MRI

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Abstract

Anorectal disorders are a common cause of presentation to the emergency department (ED). While the most frequently encountered anorectal conditions, such as hemorrhoids and anal fissures, are relatively benign and do not require imaging for diagnosis or management, there are multiple potentially life threatening anorectal conditions for which imaging is an important component of evaluation, diagnosis, and management. Although computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly used imaging modality for evaluation of anorectal pathology in the ED, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has an increasingly important role in the detection, characterization and management of specific anorectal conditions. This pictorial essay will review the imaging anatomy of the anorectum, summarize imaging protocols, and discuss the clinical presentation, imaging appearance, and differential diagnosis of anorectal conditions that may present to the emergency department, including infectious, inflammatory, malignant and vascular conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 525 East 68th Street, Starr 900, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Preethi Guniganti

  2. Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Pl, Box 1234, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Sara Lewis & Ally Rosen

  3. Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, 510 S. Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Sarah Connolly, Constantine Raptis & Vincent Mellnick

Authors
  1. Preethi Guniganti
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  2. Sara Lewis
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  3. Ally Rosen
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  4. Sarah Connolly
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  5. Constantine Raptis
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  6. Vincent Mellnick
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Correspondence to Preethi Guniganti.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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CME activity This article has been selected as the CME activity for the current month. Please visit https://ce.mayo.edu/node/27950 and follow the instructions to complete this CME activity.

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Guniganti, P., Lewis, S., Rosen, A. et al. Imaging of acute anorectal conditions with CT and MRI. Abdom Radiol 42, 403–422 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0982-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-0982-6

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