To perform a pictorial review of rectal and peri-rectal pathology.

A broad spectrum of conditions may be found in the rectum and peri-rectal area. The radiologist should know the appearance of this myriad of findings as imaging, particularly cross-sectional techniques, is frequently the method of detection and characterization of lesions (and objects) in the rectum and in the surrounding perirectal fat [1-5]. Some imaging characteristics can raise the suspicion of a certain diagnosis and this knowledge will allow the radiologist to develop an appropriate differential diagnosis and, in some cases, it may even permit the...

Although the majority of rectal tumors are histologically characterized as adenocarcinomas, there is a wide spectrum of tumors and tumor-like conditions that may be found in the rectum and peri-rectal area. We will divide these into neoplastic, inflammatory, traumatic, vascular and congenital lesions as well as foreign bodies found in the rectum [1-5]. Neoplastic Lesions - Malignant neoplasms - Primary rectal tumors - Rectal adenocarcinoma (Fig. 1,Fig. 2andFig. 3) Thevast majority of rectal tumors are adenocarcinomas (98%). These appear in many forms – as ulcerating...

The awareness of the multitude of findings that can be identified in the rectum and peri-rectal area is essential for an accurate diagnosis of pathology in this anatomical region.

[1] Purysko AS, Coppa CP, Kalady MF, Pai RK, Leão Filho HM, Thupili CR, Remer EM.Benign and malignant tumors of the rectum and perirectal region. Abdom Imaging (2014) [2] Terada T. Histopathologic study of the rectum in 1,438 consecutive rectal specimens in a single Japanese hospital: I. benign lesions. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2013; 6(3): 349-357 [3] Terada T. Histopathologic study of the rectum in 1,464 consecutive rectal specimens in a single Japanese hospital: II. malignant lesions. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2013;6(3):385-394 [4]...