ABSTRACT
The medical literature has no study evaluating the effectiveness of different materials used as setons in the treatment of perianal fistulas; therefore, there is no evidence of availability of a more effective material than others for this purpose.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the inflammatory response induced by different materials used as seton in perianal fistulas in rats.
METHOD:
Thirty Wistar rats, which were initially submitted for the construction of a perianal fistula by passing transfixing steel wire into the anal canal, were used. The rats were kept for 30 days; after this period, and with confirmation of the formation of the perianal fistula, the setons were introduced (10 rats - cotton thread #0; 10 rats - rubber; and 10 rats - silastic); after 30 days the animals were euthanized, and then the area of the fistula repaired by the seton was resected, and the material retrieved was submitted to histological analysis. The results were analyzed statistically.
RESULTS:
The mean degree of inflammatory process observed by histological analysis after 30 days was 2.3 for the cotton group; 1 for the rubber group; and 1.2 for the silastic group.
CONCLUSION:
A greater inflammatory response was observed in the group treated with a cotton seton. In the remaining groups, a lower inflammatory response, with equal intensity for rubber and silastic-treated rats, was noted.
Keywords:
Fistula; Anal canal; Rats; Seton
