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Diagnosis in Coloproctology: From the General Practitioner to the Tertiary Referral Center

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Book cover Colon, Rectum and Anus: Anatomic, Physiologic and Diagnostic Bases for Disease Management

Part of the book series: Coloproctology ((COLOPROCT,volume 1))

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Abstract

Anorectal disorders are daily encountered by general practitioners, gastroenterologists, and general surgeons. Most symptoms and complaints that patients refer are common and may be caused by a wide spectrum of benign and malignant conditions. Many anorectal conditions are benign and can be easily managed. Suspicion for colorectal cancer should always be remembered and ruled out when indicated. A correct diagnosis is basic to prevent benign conditions becoming invalid or affecting quality of life. It also prevents malignant conditions presenting as advanced or noncurable diseases. To achieve this, the fundamental steps in the diagnostic process are to collect a careful medical history from the patients and a comprehensive physical examination. The aim of this chapter is to describe how to approach patients with anorectal disorders, focusing firstly on the most common coloproctologic symptoms, secondly on how to perform the anorectal physical examination, and lastly on analyzing the diagnostic process of the most frequent coloproctologic diseases from the point of view of both the general practitioner and the colorectal surgeon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Colorectal Unit, Bellvitge University Hospital, University of Barcelona and IDIBELL, C/ Feixa Llarga s/n L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain

    Sebastiano Biondo, Loris Trenti, Alvaro Garcia-Granero & Esther Kreisler

Authors
  1. Sebastiano Biondo
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  2. Loris Trenti
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  3. Alvaro Garcia-Granero
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  4. Esther Kreisler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sebastiano Biondo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Catholic University, Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Rome, Italy

    Carlo Ratto

  2. Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Angelo Parello

  3. Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Lorenza Donisi

  4. Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Francesco Litta

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Biondo, S., Trenti, L., Garcia-Granero, A., Kreisler, E. (2017). Diagnosis in Coloproctology: From the General Practitioner to the Tertiary Referral Center. In: Ratto, C., Parello, A., Donisi, L., Litta, F. (eds) Colon, Rectum and Anus: Anatomic, Physiologic and Diagnostic Bases for Disease Management. Coloproctology, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09807-4_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09807-4_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09806-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09807-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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