[The value of defecography for diagnosis of rectocele and rectal prolapse]

The role of defecography with respect to rectoceles and to any grade of rectal prolapses has not been defined so far. Therefore, we studied 42 out of 45 patients that were submitted to a defecography between 1988 and 1992 for defecation disorders of unknown origin. In particular, we compared the diagnosis obtained by anamnestic data and the physical examination with the defecographic results and the definitive diagnosis with regard to the chosen therapies and the results. Rectocele and rectal prolapse were very frequent pathologies with 69% and 33% respectively. Of 23 patients with a clinically palpable rectocele, defecography was false negative in 4 and moreover, it did not provide any information about the functional relevance of the rectocele. Yet, it disproved the clinically diagnosed prolapses in 6 of 15 subjects, but revealed one in 5 of 27 patients that were presumed normal. On the other hand, a previously not diagnosed rectocele was detected in 6 out of 19 patients by means of defecography, but none of them proved to be of any clinical relevance. Of all rectoceles, only 48% were regarded responsible for the patients' symptoms and were therefore operated. Hereby, the indication for a surgical approach based more on anamnestic data and the proctological examination than on radiographic findings. Contrarily, the indication for a rectopexy--even if given only in 4 of those 14 patients with any grade of invagination--mainly based on the dynamics during defecation as documented by defecography.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)