Frequency of Anus-Associated Abnormalities in Children Referred to Taleghani Educational and Medical Center in Gorgan during the Years 2008-2018

Anorectal abnormalities are one of the most common congenital structural abnormalities in pediatric surgery with one in 4.000 to 5.000 live births. The cause is not fully understood, but environmental and genetic factors may be involved. The most common accompanying abnormalities are genital, spinal, and cardiovascular abnormalities. Recognizing the abnormalities associated with this problem and their timely diagnosis and treatment will help these people to suffer less from the complications caused by these abnormalities. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of anus-associated abnormalities in children referred to Taleghani Hospital in Gorgan during the years 2008-2018.

This retrospective descriptive study was performed on 203 infants and children with closed anus referred to Taleghani Educational and Medical Center in Gorgan in 2008-2018. To collect data after obtaining permission, patients' files were accessed. The required data were collected through the patient's clinical file, which included clinical examinations and diagnostic procedures, and additional information was collected through contact with parents and physicians. Data were analyzed and presented for SPSS software version 18 using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency and frequency percentage).

From 203 infants and children with closed anus, 25.1% were under 28 days old and 74.9% were over 28 days old. The mean age of patients in this study was 1.91 ± 1.85 years, most of whom were male. Also in the study of ethnicity that was done, the most ethnicity was to Persia and the lowest was Baluch ethnicity. 15.3% of children had no abnormalities, while 84.7% had at least one abnormality with closed anus. 5 cases of the most common anomalies with this defect in the subjects included ASD (26.6%), PDA (21.7%), recto-urethral fissure (21.2%), patent foramen ovale (15.3%), and recto-vaginal fissures (14.8%) were seen in patients. As the results showed, congenital heart anomalies were the most commo and then Gastrointestinal and genital fissures have since been reported.

The results of this study showed the high prevalence of concomitant anomalies in infants and closed anal children in Gorgan region that congenital heart anomalies are the most common anomalies with closed anus. Therefore, this result shows the importance of timely examinations and paraclinical procedures at birth.