Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Radiol. Dec 28, 2024; 16(12): 712-716
Published online Dec 28, 2024. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v16.i12.712
Surgeon oriented reporting template for magnetic resonance imaging and endoanal ultrasound of anal fistulas enhances surgical decision-making
Si-Ze Wu
Si-Ze Wu, Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 570102, Hainan Province, China
Author contributions: Wu SZ designed the concept of the manuscript and wrote the manuscript; the author read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Si-Ze Wu, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical University, No. 31 Longhua Road, Haikou 570102, Hainan Province, China. wsz074@aliyun.com
Received: September 14, 2024
Revised: November 29, 2024
Accepted: December 16, 2024
Published online: December 28, 2024
Processing time: 104 Days and 6.6 Hours
Abstract

In this editorial, a commentary on the article by Sudoł-Szopińska et al has been provided. Successful treatment of anal fistula (AF) relies on accurate diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoanal ultrasound (EUS) are important for the AF diagnosis. Previously, colorectal surgeons found that AF reports in MRI and EUS issued by radiologists were not appropriate for decision-making and management. To address this issue, a new AF reporting template in MRI and EUS has been developed. The new reporting template has several strengths: (1) It was based on the Delphi study of consensus statements, generated by numerous experts, including 69 colorectal surgeons from different countries, disciplines, and centers; and (2) Fourteen evidence-based statements were discussed repeatedly for 12 months and anonymously voted on in 3 rounds, achieving a consensus on 12 of 14 statements (85.7%). The reporting template comprises six features, each detailing several items related to AF classification and management, with illustrative diagrams of the anatomy. The use of this new reporting template would assist radiologists in reporting in a standardized manner and would be suitable for surgeons in decision-making and management, thereby improving treatment quality and avoiding or reducing complications.

Keywords: Anal fistula; Diagnosis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Endoanal ultrasound; Reporting template

Core Tip: Anal fistula (AF) reports in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoanal ultrasound (EUS) issued by radiologists are important for successful treatment. Previously, surgeons found that AF reports were not appropriate for surgical decision-making, prompting the proposal of a new template for AF reporting in MRI and EUS. This new reporting template was based on an updated evidence-based consensus statements by multidisciplinary and multicenter experts, closely related to AF classification and management. The use of the new reporting template would be helpful for radiologists to report in a standardized manner and would be appropriate for surgeons for surgical decision-making and management.