Classification of Cases of Chronic Functional Constipation by Intraluminal Pressure of Colon and Evaluation Based on Clinical Symptoms and Defecography

• Published in: Nippon Daicho Komonbyo Gakkai Zasshi Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 405 - 414
• Main Author: Kawasaki, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Coloproctology 1997
• ISSN: 0047-1801; 1882-9619
• DOI: 10.3862/jcoloproctology.50.405

The study was performed using patients with chronic functional constipation by evaluating the intraluminal pressure of the colon, clinical symptoms, and defecography. From the intraluminal pressure curve of the colon, the motility index (MI) was obtained, and these cases were divied into three groups according to cluster analysis : high MI group, intermediate group, and low MI group. Based on abdominal symptoms and features of feces associated with constipation in these three groups, it was estimated that the high MI group corresponded to spastic constipation, the low MI group corresponded to atonic constipation, and the intermediate group was similar to spastic constipation. In defecography, the anorectal angle (ARA) of the low MI group while resting was smaller than ARA in normal healthy subjects. From defecography, it was estimated that many patients in the low MI group have abnormal defecating function.