title: Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) injection as the mainstay of treatment for internal hemorrhoids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) induce noninvasive sclerosis and the involution of hemorrhoids by initiating an inflammatory reaction. We assessed the mid-term outcome after ALTA sclerotherapy for symptomatic hemorrhoids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between May 2006 and July 2009, 1210 patients with grade III or IV hemorrhoids underwent surgery at Kunimoto Hospital. Our treatment strategy for internal hemorrhoids is first establishing whether ALTA therapy is possible for the type of hemorrhoid, and then performing either ALTA therapy or alternatively, ligation and excision (LE) for those types unsuitable for ALTA therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 448 patients were treated with ALTA therapy alone (Group A), 706 patients were treated with a combination of ALTA and LE therapy (Group B), and 56 patients were treated with LE alone (Group C). The overall recurrence rates were 3.6% (16/448) and 0.3% (2/706) in Groups A and B, respectively. There was no recurrence in Group C. Rectal ulcers developed at the injection site in four (0.9%) patients from Group A, but they healed within a few months with conservative therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALTA sclerotherapy is a simple and safe treatment for symptomatic hemorrhoids, with few complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Proctology, Kunimoto Hospital, 1-7 Akebono, Asahikawa, 079-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hachiro
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunimoto
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitada
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ebisawa
mesh_terms: D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013634:Tannins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000534:Alum Compounds; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D013634:Tannins; C041524:aluminum sulfate