title: A randomised trial of simple excision of non-specific hypertrophied anal papillae versus expectant management in patients with chronic pruritus ani.
abstract: Forty-one patients with non-specific hypertrophied anal papillae and chronic idiopathic pruritus ani were randomly assigned to simple excision of the anal papillae (n = 21) or expectant management (n = 20). The patients were examined blindly 1 and 4 weeks after treatment and 1 year later. None of the patients were lost to follow-up. Of 21 patients treated with simple excision, 14 (67%) were symptom-free at 1 year after treatment compared to 11 out of 20 patients (55%) maintained on expectant management (P greater than 0.05). It is concluded that simple excision of non-specific hypertrophied anal papillae is without effect on chronic idiopathic pruritus ani.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Gastroenterology C, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011538:Pruritus Ani / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation