Maintenance therapy with unprocessed bran in the prevention of acute anal fissure recurrence.
The effect of unprocessed bran in a dose of 5 g three times daily and a dose of 2.5 g three times daily for one year on the recurrence rate of anal fissures was studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 90 patients with recently healed acute posterior anal fissures. Fifteen patients (16.6%) were withdrawn before the code was broken due to failure to follow the trial protocol for various reasons. Significantly fewer recurrences occurred in patients receiving bran 5 g three times daily (recurrence rate 16%, 95% confidence limits, 4.54 to 36.08) when compared with patients receiving bran 2.5 g three times daily (60%; 38.67 to 78.87) (P less than 0.01) and with patients receiving placebo three times daily (68%; 46.50 to 85.05) (P less than 0.01). No significant difference in recurrences was found between patients on bran 2.5 g and those on placebo.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000503:physiopathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003672:Defecation; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005401:Fissure in Ano / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005414:Flatulence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence