Defaecography and colonic transit time for the evaluation of female patients with obstructed defaecation.
OBJECTIVE
Colonic transit time and defaecography are well known, commonly used studies for evaluating patients with chronic constipation. The aim of this study was to compare colonic transit time with radiopaque markers and defaecography in female patients with obstructed defaecation.


METHODS
In a prospective observational study, between January 2010 and December 2012, a total of 30 female patients, mean age 60 years, with symptoms of obstructed defaecation were subjected to colonic transit time and defaecography, and divided into two groups: normal or abnormal colon transit time. The results were statistically compared using the Chi-square test.


RESULTS
The comparison of data between colonic transit time and defaecography showed the following groups: group 1 (6/30 = 20 %) with normal colonic transit time but abnormal defaecography, and group 2 (24/30 = 80 %) with abnormal colonic transit time; the latter was further divided into two subgroups: group 2a (4/24 = 17 %), patients with inertia coli; group 2b (20/24 = 83 %), patients with impaired defaecation demonstrated at defaecography. There was a significant statistical difference between the radiological findings in these groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed the value of both defaecography and colonic transit time in assessing clinically obstructed women. Obstructed defaecation might not always be associated with abnormal colonic transit time. Likewise, not all constipated patients had signs of obstructed defaecation. The differential diagnosis between colonic slow transit constipation and constipation due to pelvic floor disorders is essential for an adequate strategy of care.
Dipartimento di Scienze Diagnostiche, Unità Operativa Complessa di Radiologia, Ospedale San Carlo Borromeo, Via Pio II, 3, 20153, Milan, Italy, mariaxcosentino@gmail.com.
Maria
M
Cosentino
Claudio
C
Beati
Simona
S
Fornari
Emanuela
E
Capalbo
Michela
M
Peli
Maria
M
Lovisatti
Maurizio
M
Cariati
Gianpaolo
G
Cornalba
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003248:Constipation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019841:Defecography; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies