AGA Clinical Practice Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Hemorrhoids: Expert Review

Hemorrhoids are a common problem. The diagnosis and treatment can be challenging. Gastroenterologists have much to offer these patients. The purpose of this American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Practice Update Expert Review is to provide best practice advice (BPA) covering the diagnosis and treatment of hemorrhoid disease.

This expert review was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee (CPUC) and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership and underwent internal peer review by the CPUC and external peer review through standard procedures of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. These BPA statements were drawn from a review of the published literature and from expert opinion. Because systematic reviews were not performed, these BPA statements do not carry formal ratings regarding the quality of evidence or strength of the presented considerations. Best Practice Advice Statements BPA 1: The diagnosis and treatment of hemorrhoids is within the purview of the gastroenterologist. The diagnosis and grading of hemorrhoids is easily made by taking a history from the patient and examining the patient. Symptoms caused by hemorrhoids include bleeding, itching, discomfort, and/or prolapse. Hemorrhoids only cause significant pain when acutely thrombosed. Sharp pain on defecation is most likely anal fissure. BPA 2: Dietary and lifestyle modifications, including increasing fiber intake and avoiding straining or prolonged time on the toilet, are reasonable first-line therapies for symptomatic hemorrhoids. The use of sitz baths for symptom improvement in symptomatic hemorrhoids is often advised, but scientific data is limited. BPA 3: Topical treatments, including anesthetics, astringents (witch hazel), corticosteroids, and vasoactive agents, can be considered for treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids, but there is little data to support efficacy. Topical steroids should not be used for more than 2 weeks at a time. BPA 4: Anoscopy should be performed, whenever possible, on every new patient with suspected hemorrhoids, prior to treatment, to ensure accurate diagnosis. BPA 5: Both hemorrhoid banding and infrared coagulation are safe, effective, and easy to perform in the office setting. Infrared coagulation and rubber band ligation have similar benefits in the short term. Rubber band ligation has longer-term benefits for treatment of prolapsing hemorrhoids and recurrent bleeding. Hemorrhoid banding or infrared coagulation should be employed prior to surgical hemorrhoidectomy for grades 1 to 3 hemorrhoids. BPA 6: As part of informed consent for hemorrhoid therapies, the patient must be made aware of the small possibility of pelvic sepsis as a complication. Patients should be counseled about the risk and instructed to present to the emergency department immediately for evaluation, if indicated. BPA 7: In patients with active Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoid disease management should be delayed until complete remission is achieved. BPA 8: Hemorrhoids occur in up to two-thirds of women during pregnancy. Treatment should generally involve conservative management, including fiber, treatment of constipation, and topical ointments. If symptoms persist postpartum, or if a woman is planning further pregnancies, standard treatment such as banding or infrared coagulation can be considered. BPA 9: Acute thrombosed hemorrhoids are often extremely painful. They are best treated surgically with incision and drainage. BPA 10: Consultation with a surgeon should be offered to patients with grade 3 internal hemorrhoids who fail banding procedures or have associated external hemorrhoids. Large skin tags can be removed without a hemorrhoidectomy if they are not associated with significant hemorrhoids. Grade 4 internal hemorrhoids require surgical hemorrhoidectomy. BPA 11: Patients with cirrhosis and hemorrhoids should be carefully examined so as not to confuse hemorrhoids with rectal varices. Hemorrhoids in patients with cirrhosis can be treated with banding or infrared coagulation. In patients with significant coagulopathy, infrared coagulation is preferred to banding. Concomitant portal hypertension should not alter this approach. For most clinicians, significant coagulopathy means a platelet count of less than 50,000 per microliter or international normalized ratio greater than 2.0. The presence of concomitant portal hypertension should not alter this approach.