title: Anal endosonography in children with chronic constipation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertrophy of the internal anal sphincter may be apparent in some children, but its significance has not yet been determined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess anal endosonographic findings in children with chronic constipation. Materials and methods. We performed anal endosonography in 46 children with chronic constipation and compared the results with values considered normal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not find a significant relationship between age and thickness of the internal or external anal sphincters. The clinical response to medical management did not differ between patients with or without sphincter hypertrophy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we did not find a significant correlation between sphincter hypertrophy and constipation or age, further studies may clarify its place amongst other techniques which are used in the investigation of anorectal pathology.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Gastroenterología, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Crta. de Colmenar, Km. 9,100, E-28 034 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camarero
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kirschläger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Escobar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002400:Cathartics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003248:Constipation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008297:Male; D008899:Mineral Oil / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics; D008899:Mineral Oil