A study of anorectal manometry in patients with chronic idiopathic constipation

To study the changes of anorectal motility in patients with chronic idiopathic constipation, anorectal motility was investigated by water-perfused manometric system in 30 patients with chronic idiopathic constipation and 18 healthy subjects. Our results showed that there was no significant difference between the constipation group and the control group in anal sphincteric resting pressure and anal maximal squeezing pressure. The minimum relaxation volume, the rectal defecatory threshold, the rectal maximal tolerable volume and the rectal compliance in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). It is concluded that patients with chronic idiopathic constipation have anorectal motility disturbances.