Proctology - diseases of the anal region

Abstract

Proctology is a medical subspecialty that encompasses diseases of the perianal region, anal canal, and rectum. Dermatologists play a pivotal role in this realm, as inflammatory perianal disorders, infectious and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as perianal tumors and their precursor lesions fall within the core competency of dermatology. In a concise manner, the present article highlights all relevant disease groups in the field of proctology. With a particular focus on aspects pertinent to dermatologists, this includes inflammatory disorders, "classic" proctologic diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, malignancies of the anal region, as well as pathogen-induced diseases. Despite the wide variety of disorders, there are only five key symptoms prompting patients to consult a proctologist, including anal pruritus and burning, discharge, bleeding, pain, and foreign body sensation. A simple algorithm, which incorporates these symptoms as well as key clinical features, may assist in quickly establishing the correct diagnosis in everyday clinical practice.