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Anorectal sensitivity in patients with obstructed defaecation
A Solana1, J V Roig, C Villoslada
1Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Sagunto Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
International Journal of Colorectal Disease
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Patients with obstructed defecation (OD) experience sensory deterioration in the anal canal and rectum, indicating associated pudendal sensory neuropathy alongside motor neuropathy. This study investigated anorectal sensitivity in OD patients, revealing impaired responses to electric and thermal stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
Background:
- Obstructed defecation (OD) is linked to pudendal motor neuropathy due to excessive straining.
- Anorectal sensory function in OD patients and its role in disease pathogenesis are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate anorectal sensitivity to electric and thermal stimuli in OD patients.
- To determine if pudendal sensory neuropathy is associated with known pudendal motor neuropathy in OD.
Main Methods:
- Compared 19 OD patients with 21 healthy controls.
- Utilized clinical perineometry, manometry, pudendal motor latency studies, and external anal sphincter electromyography.
- Assessed sensitivity to electric and thermal stimuli at multiple anorectal points.
Main Results:
- OD patients showed significantly higher electric and thermal sensory thresholds across the anal canal and rectum compared to controls.
- A normal sensory profile was observed in controls, with higher sensitivity in the mid-anal canal.
- Sensory deterioration in OD patients correlated with motor function parameters.
Conclusions:
- Patients with obstructed defecation exhibit sensory deterioration in the anal canal and rectum.
- Pudendal sensory neuropathy is associated with pudendal motor neuropathy in OD patients.