A Must-Know Guide to Complex Anal Fistulas: Supralevator, Extrasphincteric, and More

Authors

  • Sushila Muthaiya Barnard Institute of Radiology, 
Madras Medical College, 
Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital
, Opposite to Chennai Central Railway Station, 
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0357-730X
  • Babu Peter Sathyanathan Barnard Institute of Radiology, 
Madras Medical College, 
Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital
, Opposite to Chennai Central Railway Station, 
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4057-0054

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59667/sjoranm.v21i1.14

Keywords:

EAS: External Anal Sphincter, IAS: Internal Anal Sphincter, VAAFT: video-assisted anal fistula treatment , TROPIS Transanal opening of intersphincteric space , LIFT: ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract , CLM: Conjoined Longitudinal Muscle

Abstract

Treatment of perianal fistulae, especially high-grade Grade 5 perianal fistula, is still a difficult procedure in colorectal surgery. Imaging is central to the correct classification, diagnosis, and preoperative evaluation of fistulae. The purpose of this article is to briefly present the five types of perianal fistula with Grade 5 complexity according to the radiological aspects, classification, and therapeutic implications.

Author Biographies

  • Sushila Muthaiya, Barnard Institute of Radiology, 
Madras Medical College, 
Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital
, Opposite to Chennai Central Railway Station, 
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Post Graduate

    Barnard Institute Of Radiology

  • Babu Peter Sathyanathan, Barnard Institute of Radiology, 
Madras Medical College, 
Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital
, Opposite to Chennai Central Railway Station, 
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Professor

    Barnard Institute Of Radiology

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Published

2025-07-31

Data Availability Statement

All data generated or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article have been securely archived and can be accessed for further assessment, subject to ethical and legal considerations. This work has been published in the Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.

How to Cite

A Must-Know Guide to Complex Anal Fistulas: Supralevator, Extrasphincteric, and More. (2025). Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, 21(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.59667/sjoranm.v21i1.14

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