[Role of defecography in female posterior pelvic floor abnormalities]

Gynecol Obstet Fertil. 2007 Dec;35(12):1257-63. doi: 10.1016/j.gyobfe.2007.09.019. Epub 2007 Nov 26.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Pelvic floor abnormalities often impact significantly the quality of life and result in a variety of symptoms, including chronic pelvic pain, fecal incontinence, and obstructed constipation. Fluoroscopic defecography and MR defecography enable identification of rectocele, rectal prolapse, enterocele, sigmoidocele with high prevalence in female patients with obstructed constipation, fecal incontinence, and chronic pelvic pain. In this manuscript, we describe the techniques and indications of the two techniques of defecography. We discuss the abnormalities of the posterior pelvic floor compartment at the origin of constipation, incontinence, chronic pelvic pain. Finally we compare the data obtained by clinical examination and defecography, remembering that 50% of enterocele and 100% of sigmoidocele are missed at clinical examination.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Constipation / etiology*
  • Defecography / methods*
  • Fecal Incontinence / etiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Pelvic Floor / abnormalities*
  • Pelvic Floor / surgery*
  • Pelvic Pain / etiology*
  • Quality of Life
  • Rectocele