Anorectal Infections in Neutropenic Leukemia Patients: A Common Clinical Challenge

Abstract

Anorectal infections in neutropenic leukemia patients are a significant and potentially life-threatening complication. The pathogenesis of this condition is not entirely understood and believed to be multifactorial, including mucosal injury as a result of cytotoxic drugs, profound neutropenia and impaired host defense. Establishing an early diagnosis is key and often made clinically on the basis of signs and symptoms, but also from imaging studies demonstrating perianal inflammation or fluid collection. The management of anorectal infections in neutropenic leukemia patients is not straightforward, as there are no well-conducted studies on this entity. This review seeks to provide a framework into the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of anorectal infections in neutropenic leukemia patients, propose a diagnostic approach and to discuss controversies in the management of this condition.