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Related Experiment Videos

Anismus in chronic constipation.

D M Preston, J E Lennard-Jones

    Digestive Diseases and Sciences
    |May 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Constipated patients with slow gut transit cannot expel a rectal balloon, indicating a defecatory mechanism failure. This failure involves abnormal pelvic floor muscle activity during attempted defecation.

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    Area of Science:

    • Gastroenterology
    • Physiology

    Background:

    • Constipation is a common complaint with unclear causes in some patients.
    • A subset of constipated patients exhibit slow whole gut transit but normal rectal and colonic dimensions.
    • The underlying cause may involve colonic motility issues or defecatory mechanism dysfunction.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the defecatory mechanism in constipated patients with slow whole gut transit.
    • To determine if a failure in the defecatory process contributes to constipation symptoms.

    Main Methods:

    • Simulated defecation by expelling a water-filled rectal balloon in constipated patients and controls.
    • Electromyography of striated pelvic floor muscles during balloon expulsion attempts.

    Main Results:

    Related Experiment Videos

    • Constipated patients were unable to expel the rectal balloon, unlike normal subjects.
    • Electromyography revealed a failure of normal pelvic floor muscle inhibition in constipated patients during attempted defecation.

    Conclusions:

    • Failure of the defecatory mechanism, specifically impaired external anal sphincter relaxation, may cause constipation in some individuals.
    • This defecatory dysfunction is a key factor in a subset of patients with slow transit constipation.