Oral lacidipine in the treatment of anal fissure

Abstract.

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the effectiveness in healing anal fissure (AF) of lacidipine, a calcium channel blocker with a better tolerability in comparison to other calcium antagonists. Twenty-one consecutive patients (16 women, 76.2%) with AF (16 chronic, situated posteriorly in 17 patients (81.0%), anteriorly in 4) with a mean age of 37.1 years (SD, 13.6, range, 20–6) were treated with oral lacidipine (6 mg daily) and warm sitz baths for 28 days, adding only stool softeners for patients with constipation. Blood pressure, pain scores (assessed from 0 to 10 on a visual analogue scale) and fissure healing were monitored at 14 days, 28 days and 2 months. At the 14-day and 28-day follow-ups, the mean systolic and diastolic pressures were not significantly different from pre-treatment levels. Seven patients (33.3%) developed side effects, but only one, who developed dyplopia, withdrew from the study at the 14-day control (non-compliance rate with treatment, 4.8%). Pain scores were significantly reduced after 14 days and continued to show a significant reduction throughout the treatment period. Three fissures (14.3%) healed by 14 days and a total of 19 (90.4%) after 28 days: among the healed AF no recurrences were seen at the 2-month control. Among the two treatment failures, one was the patient who withdrew from the study at the 14-day control due to dyplopia and the other was a patient who failed to heal up to the 2-month follow-up, although completely asymptomatic. Both patients underwent left lateral sphincterotomy and healed. In conclusion, oral lacedipine is quite well tolerated and may offer a promising alternative treatment for AF.