Sixty eight cases of ano-perineal lesions (APL) were studied. Lesions were classified into primary (19) and secondary (49) after Hughes. The course of primary APL was favourable (15 cases, 78 p. cent) when proximal CD was controlled, with 4 proctectomies being required when the latter was not the case. Suppurative secondary APL (48) were treated surgically either for an acute abscess (22) or for a chronic fistula (low: 14; high: 12). The treatment of fistulas involved: opening in 10 cases (4 recurrences, 5 failures) or slow fistulotomy with elastic in 17 cases (9 recurrences, 4 failures). Genital fistulas (9 cases) were studied separately: 3 recto-vaginal fistulas resulted in a permanent bypass and 6 ano-vulval fistulas healed or were tolerated. When proximal CD was controlled medically, proctological treatment alone resulted in the healing or quiescence of APL in 17/24 cases. In the group of patients undergoing intestinal resection with restoration of continuity, 10/25 recurred, with the appearance of worsening of an APL in 9 of them. Fifteen had no recurrence, with the appearance or worsening of an APL in 3 of them. In total, 13 patients (19 p. cent) underwent proctectomy, including 6 from the outset. Five had a stroma which was left open and 46 (72 p. cent) a functional anus. Local surgical treatment improved the comfort of patients without any increased risk regarding sphincter function, but the long term benefits of the active treatment of chronic fistulas remain to be proven.