What is papillitis and why are anal papillae inflamed?

The appearance of pain, discomfort after defecation, a sense of the presence of a foreign body in the anal passage - these are all signs of the development of papillitis.

When they appear, you should immediately contact a doctor-proctologist.

Acquaintance with the disease

On the inner walls of the intestine are blinking columns and crypts around which there are semilunar valves.

They sometimes have small formations, the so-called anal papillae. Normally, they are located at the level of the anorectal line and have a diameter of not more than 1 cm.

The shape of the anal papilla may be different:

• triangular;
  

  On the photo the anal papillae of the rectum

• are spherical.

In case of influence on the anal papillae of negative factors, they become inflamed and hypertrophied.

This process is called papillitis. During it there is swelling of the papillae, a change in their color( more often they become bright red in color) and tenderness.

Ulcers and erosions may form on the apex of the anal papillae.

This happens, as a rule, because of the prolonged traumatization of their tissues as a result of exposure to foreign bodies or solidified stool.

Causes of the disease

Papillitis of the rectum occurs as a result of inflammation of the anal papillae. The following factors can contribute to the development of this process:

• papilla trauma occurring with frequent constipation or diarrhea;
• damage to the mucous membrane of the large intestine( use of rectal suppositories, abuse of cleansing enemas);
• congestion in the pelvic area( can occur due to passive lifestyle, hemorrhoids, hypodynamia);
• rectal and anal canal infections( proctitis, cryptite).

Proctitis is one of the root causes of papillitis:

How to identify the disease?

Papillitis is manifested by swelling of the papillae, an increase in their size and severe pain in the anus. It occurs most often during defecation, but it can disturb a person even during complete rest.

Soreness, as a rule, arises from the formation of ulcers on the surface and erosion. For the same reason, bleeding may occur.

Sometimes anal papillae enlarge in size several times( in some cases they can reach 4-5 cm in diameter).This leads to their prolapse from the rectum, which leads to the appearance of a sensation of the presence of a foreign body in the anus.

Such hypertrophied formations are especially prone to frequent inflammation. They also contribute to a decrease in the functions of the sphincter and tonus of the muscle fibers. There may be mucus from the anus and itching.

Patients most often complain of the occurrence of severe pain in the anus, which has a different character( aching, dull, sharp, etc.).It can be either constant or periodic.

At the same time, painful sensations increase when there is an infringement of the fallen papillae with spasms in the anus. In addition, this disease is characterized by a feeling of incomplete bowel cleansing after defecation.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosis of papillitis includes:

• palpation;
• anoscopy;
• sigmoidoscopy.

During finger rectal examination, the patient is laid on the couch and an external examination of the anus is performed. If the papillae are inside the anus, the patient is asked to podnatuzhitsya, as a result of which they appear outside.

If they have a dense structure, large sizes and cause severe pain during a touch, this indicates an inflammatory process.

The other two diagnostic methods( anoscopy and sigmoidoscopy) are used to assess the condition of the mucosa of the anus and rectum.

They also allow to determine the number of inflamed papillae, their intensity and the presence of erosion and ulcers on their surface.

What does medicine offer?

Treatment of papillitis occurs in two main ways:

• conservative;
• operative.

Since anal papillae in the lower capsule of the rectum are present in virtually every person, in the absence of inflammation and finding them in normal sizes, treatment is not performed.

In the event that there is hypertrophy of the papillae, the treatment of the disease, first of all, is aimed at eliminating the cause of the inflammatory process.

It should be noted that if you just remove the papillitis, but do not eliminate the root cause of their appearance, there will be no useful effect from this. After a while the papillae will again become inflamed and begin to give the patient unpleasant sensations.

Conservative treatment

Drug treatment is used only in the presence of isolated inflammation of the papillae and other parts of the rectum.

Treatment includes a special diet, which is aimed at normalizing the work of the intestines.

From the diet of the patient, sweet, oily, salty and spicy food is excluded. The use of alcoholic beverages, even low-alcohol drinks, is prohibited in the .

In addition, the patient is appointed sedentary baths with the use of disinfectant solutions, which prevent the attachment of infection and the removal of the inflammatory process.

Also treatment of papillitis includes the use of 2 times a day enema with antiseptic and astringent drugs.

In the event that hemorrhoids become the cause of the disease, rectal injections of novocaine and alcohol into the hemorrhoids are prescribed.

Operative method of treatment

The operation to remove anal papillae is extremely rare. Most often this happens because the patients themselves refuse such a cardinal method of solving the problem.

However, because of the high risk of developing colorectal cancer, doctors still insist on surgery. It is performed on an outpatient basis, but only if the anal papilla is the only one and is not accompanied by other proctologic diseases.

After surgery, the patient is recommended to stick to a diet for several weeks, which will prevent the formation of constipation and trauma to the mucous membrane of the rectum.

In addition, in the rehabilitation period, the use of cleansing enemas, rectal suppositories and anal sex is prohibited.

Possible complications of

If the disease is not treated in a timely manner, ulcers and erosions form on the tip of the inflamed papillae that bleed and are permanently damaged( any defecation can lead to their injury).

As a result, the surface of the formations becomes expressed and characteristic granulations appear on it.

If, and at this stage, treatment is not carried out, then the transformation of benign tissues into malignant tissues is possible, which will lead to the development of rectal cancer.

Preventive measures

The development of papillitis can be easily prevented.

To do this, you must regularly adhere to certain rules:

• rinsing of the anal passage after each defecation;
• carrying out preventive trays( 1-2 times a month) with the use of manganese and herbal infusions( from chamomile, string, etc.);
• exercises exercise therapy to improve blood circulation in the pelvic region;
• introduction of a healthy lifestyle( excluding alcoholic beverages, "heavy" food, smoking, etc.);
• when constipation occurs, use laxatives( enema is not recommended);
• regular visit to the proctologist( once every 5-9 months);
• timely treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies.

Remember that preventing the disease is much easier than treating it. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to all these rules in whether you already have health problems in this area or not.

If you notice symptoms of papillitis, then immediately seek help from a proctologist.

And most importantly, this disease by its characteristics is very similar to hemorrhoids. However, the nature of their origin is different, so the treatment of such pathologies occurs in different ways. Do not self-medicate, otherwise serious health complications may occur.