Gender influence on defecographic abnormalities in patients with posterior pelvic floor disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To compare defecographic abnormalities in symptomatic men and women and to analyze differences between men and age- and symptom-matched women.


METHODS
Sixty-six men (mean age: 55.4 years, range: 20-81 years) who complained of constipation and/or fecal incontinence and/or pelvic pain underwent defecography after intake of a barium meal. Radiographs were analyzed for the diagnosis of rectocele, enterocele, intussusception and perineal descent. They were compared with age- and symptom-matched women (n = 198) who underwent defecography during the same period.


RESULTS
Normal defecography was observed in 22.7% of men vs 5.5% of women (P < 0.001). Defecography in men compared with women showed 4.5% vs 44.4% (P < 0.001) rectocele, and 10.6% vs 29.8% (P < 0.001) enterocele, respectively. No difference was observed for the diagnosis of intussusception (57.6% vs 44.9%). Perineal descent at rest was more frequent in women (P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
For the same complaint, diagnosis of defecographic abnormalities was different in men than in women: rectocele, enterocele and perineal descent at rest were observed less frequently in men than in women.
Savoye-Collet
Céline
C
Radiology Department, Rouen University Hospital Charles Nicolle, 1 rue de Germont, F-76031 Rouen, France. savoyecel@hotmail.com
Savoye
Guillaume
G
Koning
Edith
E
Leroi
Anne-Marie
AM
Dacher
Jean-Nicolas
JN
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003248:Constipation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019841:Defecography; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006547:Hernia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007443:Intussusception / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015995:Prevalence; D020047:Rectocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult