title: Defecography by digital radiography: experience in clinical practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to profile patients who undergo defecography, by age and gender, as well as to describe the main imaging and diagnostic findings in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective, descriptive study of 39 patients, conducted between January 2012 and February 2014. The patients were evaluated in terms of age, gender, and diagnosis. They were stratified by age, and continuous variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. All possible quantitative defecography variables were evaluated, including rectal evacuation, perineal descent, and measures of the anal canal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority (95%) of the patients were female. Patient ages ranged from 18 to 82 years (mean age, 52 ± 13 years): 10 patients were under 40 years of age; 18 were between 40 and 60 years of age; and 11 were over 60 years of age. All 39 of the patients evaluated had abnormal radiological findings. The most prevalent diagnoses were rectocele (in 77%) and enterocele (in 38%). Less prevalent diagnoses were vaginal prolapse, uterine prolapse, and Meckel's diverticulum (in 2%, for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although defecography is performed more often in women, both genders can benefit from the test. Defecography can be performed in order to detect complex disorders such as uterine and rectal prolapse, as well as to detect basic clinical conditions such as rectocele or enterocele.
authors.affiliation: Physician at the Unidade de Radiologia Clínica (URC) and at the Hospital Vivalle/D'Or/São Luiz, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda Nogueira de Sá
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Physician at the Unidade de Radiologia Clínica (URC) and at the Hospital Vivalle/D'Or/São Luiz, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco Aurélio Sousa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.affiliation: General Surgeon and Coloproctologist at the Hospital Vivalle/D'Or/São Luiz, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Ciotola
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: General Surgeon and Coloproctologist at the Hospital Pio XII, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Alberto Cunha
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.affiliation: Physician at the Unidade de Radiologia Clínica (URC) and at the Hospital Vivalle/D'Or/São Luiz, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Mauricio Canavezi
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Indiani
authors.affiliation: Physician at the Unidade de Radiologia Clínica (URC) and at the Hospital Vivalle/D'Or/São Luiz, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Fontalvo
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: General Surgeon and Coloproctologist at the Hospital Vivalle/D'Or/São Luiz, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Maurício Chagas
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Professor in the Radiology Department of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Souto
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nacif
keywords: Constipation; Defecography; Rectal prolapse; Rectocele