[Proctology for internists]

In proctology patients can often be helped with very little effort. With knowledge of the most common disease symptoms the treating physician can in many cases correctly recognize the cause of the complaints and initiate the appropriate therapy or arrange referral to a proctological institution. This article aims to briefly and succinctly present the most common diseases in proctology (e.g. mariscae, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, perianal venous thrombosis, abscesses and fistulas, condyloma acuminatum and anal carcinoma) and to provide the treating internist, even outside of gastroenterology, assistance with the management of proctological symptoms.