Related Experiment Videos
Fecoflowmetry in fecal incontinence.
1Department of Surgery, Cairo University, Faculty of Medicine, Egypt.
Summary
Fecoflowmetry effectively diagnoses fecal incontinence by analyzing anal sphincter activity and pressure. This method differentiates between complete and partial incontinence, aiding in precise diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Colorectal Surgery
- Physiology
Background:
- Fecal incontinence (FI) significantly impacts quality of life.
- Accurate diagnosis and subtyping of FI are crucial for effective treatment.
- Fecoflowmetry offers a potential objective measure for evaluating FI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fecoflowmetric patterns in patients with fecal incontinence.
- To differentiate between complete and partial fecal incontinence using objective measurements.
- To assess the utility of fecoflowmetry as a diagnostic tool for FI.
Main Methods:
- Studied 38 patients with fecal incontinence (21 complete, 17 partial) and 20 controls.
- Performed electromyography (EMG) of the external anal sphincter and puborectalis.
- Measured anal pressures and fecal flow rate using a fecoflowmeter.
Main Results:
- Complete FI: No sphincter EMG activity, lower resting/squeeze anal pressures (p<0.0001). Fecoflowmetry showed 'minicurve' due to leakage.
- Partial FI: Subnormal sphincter EMG on squeezing, lower resting/squeeze anal pressures (p<0.001, p<0.0001) than controls.
- Partial FI showed higher evacuated volume, mean/max flow rates (p<0.001), and shorter flow time/time to max flow (p<0.001, p<0.01) than controls, with characteristic flow curves.
Conclusions:
- Fecoflowmetry, combined with EMG and anal pressure measurements, can diagnose fecal incontinence.
- This technique helps distinguish between complete and partial fecal incontinence.
- Fecoflowmetry is a valuable investigative tool for identifying FI subtypes.