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Measurement of colonic transit time in children
A Bautista Casasnovas1, R Varela Cives, A Villanueva Jeremias
1Pediatrics Department, Hospital General de Galicia, University of Santiago of Compostela, Spain.
Insights
This study measured colonic transit time in healthy children and those with constipation due to myelomeningocele. Results established normal transit times and showed prolonged transit in constipated children, indicating a useful diagnostic method.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Colorectal Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Constipation is a common issue in children, particularly those with myelomeningocele.
- Accurate measurement of colonic transit time (CTT) is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Existing methods for CTT measurement can be complex or involve higher radiation doses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal colonic transit times in healthy children.
- To evaluate CTT in children with constipation secondary to myelomeningocele.
- To assess the utility of a simple radio-opaque marker technique for CTT measurement.
Main Methods:
- 10 healthy children and 14 children with myelomeningocele-related constipation ingested radio-opaque markers over three days.
- A plain abdominal roentgenogram was performed on the fourth day using fast film.
- Transit times were calculated for the whole colon and its segments (right, left, rectosigmoid).
Main Results:
- Normal total colonic transit time (mean +/- SD) in healthy children was 37.8 +/- 6.2 hours.
- Upper normal limits were established for segmental and total colonic transit times.
- Constipated children exhibited significantly prolonged total colonic transit time (59.9 +/- 5.4 hours) and segmental transit times.
Conclusions:
- The radio-opaque marker technique is a simple and clinically applicable method for measuring colonic transit time in children.
- This method provides a lower radiation dose compared to other techniques.
- The findings establish reference values for CTT in children and highlight its value in evaluating constipation.
Abstract:
Transit times through the whole colon and its segments were measured in 10 healthy children and 14 children suffering constipation secondary to myelomeningocele. The subjects ingested radio-opaque markers on three successive days, and on the fourth a plain abdominal roentgenogram was taken using fast film. In the healthy children, total colonic transit time (mean +/- SD) was 37.8 +/- 6.2 h, with segmental times of 10.8 +/- 3.5 h for the right colon, 12.2 +/- 2.7 h for the left, and 14.7 +/- 2.1 h for the rectosigmoid; upper normal limits of 17.8 h for the right colon, 17.6 h for the left, 19.1 h for the rectosigmoid, and 50.2 h for the total colonic transit time were established. In the constipated children, the total transit time was 59.9 +/- 5.4 h, with segmental times of 15.9 +/- 2.3 h for the right colon, 18.9 +/- 2.3 h for the left, and 25.0 +/- 2.6 h for the rectosigmoid. The technique described is simple, is easy to use in clinical practice, and involves a lower radiation dose than other methods. It may prove useful for measurement of colonic transit time in suitable patients.