Anorectal anomalies

Abstract

The term anorectal anomalies, encompasses a series of congenital defects that represent a wide spectrum. In the past, these malformations had been classifi ed into two main categories, high and low. Subsequently, some authors adopted a classifi cation that included high, intermediate, and low categories. Those classifi cations were actually oversim-plifi cations of a spectrum of defects. A more practical classifi cation of these defects, with therapeutic and prognostic implications is presented here. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.