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 37,932 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Spontaneous perforation of colon is a rare disease and physiopathologic basis are actually unknown. Surgical treatment is standardized and post-operative survival is over 60%, morbidity and mortality rate depends on peritoneal contamination. In 1984 J.A. Berry classified spontaneous perforations into "stercoral" and "idiopathic" perforations on the basis of etiopathogenetical causes of lesions. Anatomopathologically stercoral and idiopathic perforations present different characteristics. Macroscopically stercoral perforation origines from an ulcerative lesion often situated on the sigmoid colon or rectum. Microscopical characteristic is represented by a superficial ischemic necrosis of mucosa (caused by fecalomas) followed by an extension to sub-mucosa and muscular tissues of the colonic wall. On the contrary, "idiopathic perforation", frequently situated on the sigma, is a linear laceration of anti-mesenteric side of the colon without pathologic modifications of the colon. Physiopathologic basis of spontaneous perforations of the colon were also discussed. Stercoral perforation is often a consequence of chronic constipation. Instead, two hypoteses are advanced as regards idiopathic perforations. S.V. Kessing e coll. (1962) hypotized a parietal suffering caused by ischemia of anti-mesenteric side of the colon, depending on ipoperfusion of colonic tissues; they also hypotized a constitutional weakness of colonic wall as a cause of idiopathic perforation. Others hypotized an intraluminal hypertension caused by intestinal hernias (J.W. Eadie, 1955; K. Cronin, 1959), rectal prolapse or abnormal depth of Douglas cavity (D.C. Lyon, 1969). In these cases, lesion is caused by contraction of abdominal muscles during defecation, which presses colonic wall during distension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Spontaneous perforations of the large intestine]. 129 Mar 69

Microdissection-point count morphometric study of the myenteric (Auerbach) plexus or esophagus, small intestine, and colon was done for infants and children with acardia (2), ataxia-telangiectasia (5), cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (CFP) (25), extrahepatic biliary atresia (EBA) (17), pediatric AIDS (10), and Werdnig-Hoffmann disease (WHD) (8). Values for fractional area of neural tissue in the plane of the plexus were compared to those of control patients in same age range as those in each disease category by t-test. Statistically abnormal values included low values for small intestine and colon in Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, high values for small intestine and colon in biliary atresia, and high value for colon but a low value for small intestine in cystic fibrosis. Values for all three loci were within the normal range for ataxia telangiectasia and pediatric AIDS. The mechanisms of the low value for small and large intestines in WHD, which causes chronic constipation as a result of skeletal muscle weakness, and of the high values for colon in CFP and EBA, both causing malabsorption with bulky stools, are unclear. The value for small intestine in acardia was normal for term but lower than expected for fetal bowel of the same size, possibly because of reduced neural crest inflow to the fetal bowel.
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PMID:Microdissection study of the myenteric plexus in acardia, ataxia-telangiectasia, cystic fibrosis, extrahepatic biliary atresia, pediatric AIDS and Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. 140 39

Preservation and reconstruction are the key principles for surgical therapy of the anorectal organ of continence. The occlusive strength of the sphincter system varies significantly among individuals. As a rule, women have weaker sphincter muscles than men. Both sexes experience a decrease in sphincter strength with age. The physiological weakness of the anorectal sphincters in females is explained by a relatively smaller amount of sphincter muscle mass and an asymmetric sphincter anatomy which is characteristic for the female pelvic floor. In addition, the spinal centers controlling continence are structurally less complex in women than in men. Chronic constipation and the stress of vaginal deliveries frequently cause damage to the pelvic floor in women by overstretching muscular elements. They appear to play a leading role in the development of spontaneous incontinence, a condition occurring exclusively in women. Preoperative assessment of sphincter strength can be accomplished easily by using a very simple measuring device described earlier. Sphincter pressure measurements are felt to be an essential part of any preoperative work-up in anorectal surgery. The numerous procedures described for reconstructing anorectal sphincter function in patients with incontinence are symbolic operations which at the most create an illusion of continence. Narrowing the levator muscles with plastic bands may improve continence if there is some residual sphincter musculature which is still functional. But it will never cure anorectal incontinence. Recommendable procedures for treatment of anorectal prolaps, anorectal fistulas, and hemorrhoids are discussed. Operative treatment of hemorrhoids which are caused by hyperplastic enlargement of parts of the corpus cavernosum recti is also associated with a greater risk of incontinence in women than in men.
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PMID:[Anatomically-induced diagnostic and technical surgical problems and complications in surgery of the anorectum]. 157 37

Manometric, radiological and neurophysiological investigations were performed on 34 women, aged between 14 and 53, who suffered with chronic constipation refractory to treatment, and on 27 age-matched normal female control subjects. The constipated patients had more difficulty in evacuating simulated stools than control subjects and 13 out of 19 patients tested obstructed defaecation by contracting the external sphincter during straining. The constipated group required a greater degree of rectal distension than control subjects to induce rectal contractions, anal relaxation and a desire to defaecate. Other modalities of rectal sensation were normal in the constipated subjects. Compared with controls, constipated patients had significantly lower anal pressures, an abnormal degree of perineal descent on straining and an obtuse anorectal angulation at rest. These results were compatible with weakness of the pelvic floor and neuropathic damage to the external sphincter. Mouth to anus transit time was abnormally prolonged in 60% of constipated patients, but was within the normal range in the remainder. Anorectal function in patients with slow transit was not significantly different from that in patients with a normal transit time. The mouth to caecum transit time of a standard meal was prolonged in constipated patients irrespective of the duration of the whole gut transit. Gastric emptying was not significantly prolonged.
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PMID:Physiological studies in young women with chronic constipation. 361 44

In 17 women with chronic constipation, and abnormal perineal descent on straining at stool, there was more severe neurogenic damage to the external anal sphincter muscle and to its pudendal innervation in those patients with a long history than in those with a short history. These results suggest that recurrent trauma to the pudendal nerves can occur during perineal descent, and that this can lead to denervation and weakness of the external anal sphincter muscle.
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PMID:Evidence of pudendal neuropathy in patients with perineal descent and chronic straining at stool. 609 14

A 42-year-old woman with negative family history had the insidious onset of weakness in her lower extremities 8 years before, in 1983. The disorder slowly progressed to include cramps and muscle twitches. The diagnosis of adult spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was made when electromyography showed large rapidly firing motor unit-potentials, positive waves, and fibrillation potentials, and when muscle biopsy of the quadriceps revealed severe alterations consistent with neurogenic atrophy. The patient also had severe chronic constipation for many years. More recently she had developed unremitting diarrhea. Gastrointestinal studies showed no evidence of peristaltic contractions in the rectum, delayed gastric emptying, and abnormal jejunal manometry with altered propagation of the migrating myoelectrical complex.
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PMID:Intestinal pseudo-obstruction in adult spinal muscular atrophy. 804 4

This article reviews the medical management of the neurogenic bladder and bowel. The drugs discussed specifically affect detrusor instability, detrusor weakness, high urethral pressure, low urethral closure pressure, inflammatory cystitis, and chronic constipation.
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PMID:Urinary and gastrointestinal systems medications. 1037 Sep 42

The entity of an occult tight filum terminale syndrome, characterized by clinical findings consistent with a tethered cord syndrome, but with the conus ending in a normal position, has been recognized recently. The indications for sectioning the filum terminale in this situation are not well characterized and are controversial. We report a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 60 children (ages 3-18 years) with a diagnosis of occult tight filum terminale syndrome who underwent section of the filum and were followed for more than 6 months (mean 13.9 months). The criteria for surgical intervention were (1) spina bifida occulta, (2) progressive bladder instability unresponsive to conservative measures, (3) urological/nephrological evaluation to confirm or rule out nonneurogenic etiology, and (4) two or more of the following: (a) bowel involvement (fecal incontinence or chronic constipation), (b) lower extremity weakness, (c) gait changes, (d) reflex/tone abnormalities, (e) sensory disturbances, (f) back/leg pain, (g) orthopedic abnormalities/limb length discrepancy, (h) scoliosis/lordosis, (i) recurrent urinary tract infections, (j) abnormal voiding cystourethrogram/ultrasound, (k) syringomyelia, and (l) neurocutaneous stigmata. Postoperatively, urinary incontinence/retention showed complete resolution in 52%, marked improvement (>95% resolution) in 35%, moderate improvement (>75%) in 6%, minimal improvement (> 50%) in 6%, and no improvement (<50%) in 2%. Fecal incontinence completely resolved in 56%, improved in 41%, and was unchanged in 3%. Weakness, sensory abnormalities, and pain improved or resolved in all patients.
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PMID:Occult tight filum terminale syndrome: results of surgical untethering. 1588 17

This review deals with the indications, methods, strengths, and limitations of anorectal testing in clinical practice. In chronic constipation, anal manometry and a rectal balloon expulsion test, occasionally supplemented by defecography, are useful to identify a functional defecatory disorder, because symptoms may respond to pelvic floor retraining. In patients with fecal incontinence, diagnostic testing complements the clinical assessment for evaluating the pathophysiology and guiding management. Manometry measures anal resting and squeeze pressures, which predominantly reflect internal and external anal sphincter function, respectively. Defecation may be indirectly assessed by measuring the recto-anal pressure gradient during straining and by the rectal balloon expulsion test. Endoanal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can identify anal sphincter structural pathology, which may be clinically occult, and/or amenable to surgical repair. Only MRI can identify external sphincter atrophy, whereas ultrasound is more sensitive for internal sphincter imaging. By characterizing rectal evacuation and puborectalis contraction, barium defecography may demonstrate an evacuation disorder, excessive perineal descent or a rectocele. Dynamic MRI can provide similar information and also image the bladder and genital organs without radiation exposure. Because the measurement of pudendal nerve latencies suffers from several limitations, anal sphincter electromyography is recommended when neurogenic sphincter weakness is suspected.
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PMID:Update of tests of colon and rectal structure and function. 1639 68

Rectocele is defined as the herniation of rectal wall due to a rectovaginal septum defect in direction of the vagina. In most of cases it is a result of vaginal delivery or repeated increases of intra-abdominal pressure due to chronic constipation. Some patients can develop rectocele as a consequence of congenital or inherited weakness of the pelvic support system. The rectopexy procedure by a single mechanical stapler allows to ablate the exceeding tissue. This surgery is performed through transanal access without laparotomy, by means of a circular stapler which simultaneously resects portion of the rectal wall and re-anastomizes it. Also the technique of sequential transfixed stitches (TSTS) represents a minimally invasive procedure for the rectocele treatment, allowing the performance of a complete plasty of rectal wall through transanal access. Hence, starting from a more effective stadiation of rectocele, the authors of this study will show the advantages of an endorectal approach for the treatment of the above-mentioned disease using both methods. A total of 25 female patients attending our colonproctology outpatient department, with an age ranging between 38 and 63 years, have been selected for our study; following a careful assessment of stadiation, they have undergone rectopexy with circular stapler first, thereafter fulfilling the surgery with TSTS. the mean duration of hospital stay was 2.5 days (range 2-3). Twelve patients out of 25 have shown early complications, and 11 patients late ones. Among the early complications, 3 patients reported pain (12 %), 3 patients urinary retention (12 %), and 2 patients bleeding (8 %). Among late complications, 5 cases of urgency defecation disorders (>4 months) (20 %), 1 intestinal flatus incontinence (4 %), 1 stenosis (4 %), 2 prolonged pain and 2 cases of persistent obstructive defecation syndrome were reported. No cases of life-threatening local or pelvic sepsis as well as of rectovaginal fistulae were reported. At the 6 months post-surgery evaluation, neither rectocele recurrence nor prolapse was observed. The association of circular stapler and TSTS in the rectopexy treatment of rectocele showed its short-term efficacy, producing an improvement of patient's clinical conditions, without inducing further alterations of pelvic statics, of the sphincteric tone as well as of rectum emptiness deficit.
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PMID:Efficacy of two different surgical techniques combined in the treatment of rectocele. 2252 8


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