DEFECOGRAPHY - RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS IN 2,816 PATIENTS

PURPOSE: This study was designed to analyze the frequency of different findings at defecography in patients with defecation disorders and se e in what way the evaluation could be improved. METHODS: The reports o f investigations in 2,816 patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-thre e per cent of the investigations were considered normal. Thirty-one pe rcent of the patients had rectal intussusception, 13 percent had recta l prolapse, 27 percent had rectocele, and 19 percent had enterocele. T wenty-one percent of the patients had a combination of two or three of these diagnoses. The combination of rectocele and enterocele was rare . The majority of patients with enterocele had other concomitant findi ngs. Patients with or without abnormal perineal descent had similar fr equencies of rectal prolapse, rectal intussusception, and enterocele. Rectocele was more common in patients with abnormal perineal descent. CONCLUSIONS: Defecography is valuable when investigating patients with defecation disorders. Pathologic findings were found in 77 percent of the patients. A standardized protocol should ensure a complete evalua tion of defecography.