Diagnosis of enteroceles by dynamic anorectal endosonography

Enteroceles are herniations of the lining of the peritoneum and intestinal loops into the pouch of Douglas. They may accompany other pelvic and anorectal disorders or cause outlet obstruction. So far they are only diagnosed by defecography. We investigated the use of dynamic anorectal endosonography to detect this disorder.

Seventeen female patients with a defecation disorder were investigated by proctoscopy and endoluminal ultrasonography. In 14 patients defecography followed. Endosonography was performed using the curved array 7.5 MHz scanner directed to the ventral rectal wall. Dynamic studies were undertaken during rest and during maximal straining. The minimal distance between the inner verge of the anal canal and the peritoneal cavity was determined.

Dynamic endosonography detected enteroceles in six patients in which the pouch of Douglas opened during straining and intestinal loops moved toward the anus. The diagnosis of enteroceles was confirmed in all patients by defecography giving a specificity of 100 percent. No enterocele was detected in the remaining eight patients with defecography, leading to a 100 percent sensitivity for endosonography. Comparing the 6 patients with enteroceles with the 11 patients without enterocele, the peritoneal-anal distances were at rest 3.9 +/- 0.5 and 3.3 +/- 0.5 cm (P < 0.05) and during straining 3.6 +/- 0.5 and 1.3 +/- 0.2 cm (P < 0.001), respectively. The change in peritoneal-anal distance was 2 +/- 0.5 cm in the enterocele group and 0.3 +/- 0.4 cm in the control group (P < 0.001). Two patients with enteroceles had complete rectal prolapse. Four patients with enteroceles underwent surgery. Postsurgical endoluminal endosonography showed closure of the pouch of Douglas.

Enteroceles may be diagnosed by dynamic anorectal endosonography. Compared with defecography dynamic anorectal endosonography is easier to perform, less cumbersome for the patient, and bears no radiation exposure. Therefore, this new diagnostic means may be useful in first-line search for enteroceles, but further studies are needed to prove its sensitivity for screening of this disorder.