An Etiology of Anal Fistula in Infants

Anal fistula in infants is considered to be not due to diaper dermatitis but it is developed in the process: hyperfunction of sebaceous glands induced by either excessive secretion of sex hormones (maternal hormones and hormones in the baby) or disorders related to hormones-acne vulgaris-fistula forma-tion.Because the incidence of infantile anal fistula is very high in patients below the age of one month, the author recommends to put this fistula in the category of diseases of newborn babies, and to call it “fistula ani neonatorum”.It is presumed that the fistula-in-ano which is usually observed in adult is also due to the abnormal development of pilo-sebaceous system or of free sebaceous glands (Fordyce's disease) of the anus. That is, the anal fistula in adults is pathogenically the same as that in infants. In addition, it is neces-sary to reconsider the theory in which cryptoglands infection is regarded as the cause of anal fistula.