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Anal endosonography in children with chronic constipation
1Unidad de Gastroenterología, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Crta. de Colmenar, Km. 9,100, E-28 034 Madrid, Spain.
Insights
Internal anal sphincter hypertrophy in children with chronic constipation showed no significant correlation with age or clinical response to treatment. Further research is needed to clarify its role in anorectal pathology.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Anorectal Physiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Internal anal sphincter (IAS) hypertrophy is observed in some children.
- The clinical significance of IAS hypertrophy in pediatric chronic constipation remains undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate anal endosonographic findings in children diagnosed with chronic constipation.
- To compare endosonographic measurements with established normal values for pediatric anal sphincters.
Main Methods:
- Anal endosonography was performed on a cohort of 46 children with chronic constipation.
- Sphincter thickness was measured and compared to normal reference ranges.
- Correlation with age and clinical response to medical management was assessed.
Main Results:
- No significant relationship was identified between patient age and the thickness of either the internal or external anal sphincters.
- The clinical outcomes of medical management did not vary between children with and without evidence of sphincter hypertrophy.
Conclusions:
- The study found no significant correlation between anal sphincter hypertrophy and the presence of constipation or patient age in the pediatric cohort.
- Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the role of anal sphincter hypertrophy in anorectal pathology and its diagnostic utility.
Background:
Hypertrophy of the internal anal sphincter may be apparent in some children, but its significance has not yet been determined.
Objective:
To assess anal endosonographic findings in children with chronic constipation. Materials and methods. We performed anal endosonography in 46 children with chronic constipation and compared the results with values considered normal.
Results:
We did not find a significant relationship between age and thickness of the internal or external anal sphincters. The clinical response to medical management did not differ between patients with or without sphincter hypertrophy.
Conclusions:
Although we did not find a significant correlation between sphincter hypertrophy and constipation or age, further studies may clarify its place amongst other techniques which are used in the investigation of anorectal pathology.