OBJECTIVE To study whether avulsion and ballooning are independent risk factors for symptoms and/or signs of pelvic organ prolapse. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of data obtained in clinical practice. SETTING Tertiary urogynecology unit. POPULATION Seven hundred and sixty-one consecutive women with symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. METHODS Evaluation included history, vaginal examin...

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is an unusual disorder of childhood, which usually presents with rectal bleeding, mucous discharge, prolonged straining, tenesmus, and localized pain in the perineal area. After the first description by Cruveilhier, Madigan and Morson further detailed the clinical and pathologic features of SRUS in 1969. The pathogenesis of the syndrome is not well-understo...

Biopsies of the external anal sphincter, puborectalis, and levator ani muscles have been examined in 24 women and one man with long-standing anorectal incontinence, 18 of whom also had rectal prolapse, and in two men with rectal prolapse alone. In 16 of the women anorectal incontinence was of unknown cause, but in eight there was a history of difficult labour. Similar biopsies were examined in ...

This editorial accompanies the article “Triple-Target Treatment vs. LowFrequency Electrostimulation for Anal Incontinence: A Randomized, Controlled Trial,” by Thilo Schwandner, Claudia Hemmelmann, et al., which appears on the following pages of the 158 patients (39%) actually received treatment as planned for the full nine months—43 in the 3T group and 19 in the EMG-BF group. The trial was thus...

1. Johansson C, Nilsson BY, Holmström B, Dolk A, Mellgren A. Association between rectocele and paradoxical sphincter response. Dis Colon Rectum 1992;35:503-9. 2. Rosato GO, Lumi CM, Miguel AM. Anal sphincter electromyography and pudendal nerve terminal motor latency assessment. Seminars Colon Rectal Surg 1992;3:68-74. 3. van Dam JH, Hop WC, Schouten WR. Analysis of patients with poor outcome of...

OBJECTIVES To review the most common disorders depicted with conventional videodefecography, and to compare the defecographic abnormalities between symptomatic patients according to their gender and age. METHODS Conventional videodefecography studies of 300 patients (24 men, 266 women; mean age - 57.7) performed in a 32-month period were reviewed for the following parameters: anorectal angle,...

Background and aims: Anal sphincter weakness and rectal sensory disturbances contribute to faecal incontinence (FI). Our aims were to investigate the relationship between symptoms, risk factors, and disordered anorectal and pelvic floor functions in FI. Methods: In 52 women with ‘‘idiopathic’’ FI and 21 age matched asymptomatic women, we assessed symptoms by standardised questionnaire, anal pre...