Anal Dysplasia in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The rationale for this study is that the risk of anal dysplasia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as compared to the general population has yet to be investigated prospectively. There have only been a few articles examining this relationship - preliminary results have suggested that patients with IBD are at increased risk for abnormal anal pap smears. As high grade anal dysplasia is strongly associated with an increased risk of anal carcinoma, it is important to identify all high risk groups that might benefit from routine screening. This pilot study aims to determine whether patients with IBD in our Bronx population have an increased risk of abnormal anal Pap smears. We hypothesize that there will be an increased incidence of abnormal anal pap smears in patients with IBD who have been treated with immunosuppressants, given that chronic immunosuppression is related to increased HPV infection.