Anorectal Manometric Dysfunctions in Newly Diagnosed, Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Anorectal dysmotility is common in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), but there have been few evaluations in newly diagnosed PD patients. METHODS We conducted anorectal manometric evaluations in 19 newly diagnosed, drug-naïve, early-stage PD patients. All of the PD patients were questioned regarding the presence of anorectal symptoms. RESULTS Anorectal manometry was abnormal in 12 of the 19 patients. These abnormalities were more common in patients with more severe anorectal symptoms, as measured using a self-reported scale. However, more than 40% of patients with no or minimal symptoms also exhibited manometric abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that anorectal dysmotility manifests in many early-stage PD patients, which this represent evidence for the involvement of neuronal structures in such nonmotor manifestations in PD.