title: [National working team report on defecography].
abstract: A questionnaire concerning defecography was submitted to 5 national experts in order to: 1) quantify the demand and 2) develop a consensus report. The demand is currently 2-8 exams week and the most frequent indication (70%) is obstructed defection, with/without constipation. The highest discriminatory capabilities was exhibited by the following variables: a) the anorectal angle (ARA) on straining and b) the distance from the pubococcygeal line (PCL) on squeezing (101.2 degrees +/- 15 vs. 120.6 degrees +/- 13, p < 0.05 and 27.4 mm +/- 15 vs. 2.4 mm +/- 7, p = 0.005, respectively) in chronically constipated patients (mean age: 60 years) when compared to the control group; and c) PCL on squeezing and at rest (35.5 mm +/- 20 vs. 2.4 mm +/- 7, p = 0.005 and 38.9 mm +/- 18 vs 18.4 mm +/- 17, p < 0.05, respectively) in patients with severe incontinence with respect to healthy subjects. While sensitivity and positive predictive values of the test were highest (97 and 98% respectively) for rectocele, specificity ranked first (92%) in anal gaping.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Geriatrico, Dipartimento di Radiologia, Fermo (Ascoli Piceno).
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Piloni
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Genovesi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lazzini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pomerri
mesh_terms: D003672:Defecation; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
vernacular_title: "Working team report" nazionale sulla defecografia.