[Digestive localizations of sexually transmitted diseases in male homosexuals].

The common practice of sexual relations with many different and anonymous partners and the great variety of responsible micro-organisms account for the high incidence, growing complexity and uneasy prevention of sexually transmitted diseases of the digestive tract in male homosexuals. Syphilis, gonorrhoea, papillomas, chancroid, donovanosis, herpes virus or Chlamydia infections are known to be transmitted by anal coitus; amebiasis, giardiasis and shigellosis by oro-anal contact (faecal contamination). Still under discussion, however, are the predominant mode of transmission of Campylobacter jejuni, the true frequency in homosexuals of intestinal anguilluliasis, oxyuriasis and salmonellosis and the anorectal pathogenicity of Neisseria meningitidis, intestinal spirochetes, Mycoplasma homini, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Campylobacter-like organisms.

[Vascularization of the anal canal].

The arterial blood supply of the anal canal derives from the superior, middle and inferior rectal arteries, whose branches reach the anal submucosa. Three main arterial trunks in the right anterior, right posterior and left lateral positions can be isolated below the pectinate line. They come, for the most important part, from the superior rectal artery.