Guidelines on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging in patients operated for cryptoglandular anal fistula: Experience from 2404 scans

Figure 5 A 51-year-old male patient with a high transsphincteric fistula with multiple branches. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) done after 8 wk post-surgery showing fistula has healed completely. The hyperintense signal (white) in the preoperative images has turned hypointense (black). A: Axial section (schematic diagram); B: Coronal section (schematic diagram); C: Pre-operative T2-weighted axial MRI; D: Sketch of pre-operative axial MRI image highlighting internal opening, the intersphincteric portion of fistula tract and transsphincteric fistula tract (green color); E: Pre-operative short-T1 inversion recovery (STIR) axial MRI; F: Postoperative T2-weighted axial MRI (after 8 wk) showing completely healed fistula; G: Postoperative STIR axial MRI (after 8 wk) showing completely healed fistula. STIR: Short-T1 inversion recovery.