Emma V Carrington1, Charles H Knowles2, Ugo Grossi2, S Mark Scott2. 1. National Bowel Research Centre and GI Physiology Unit, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: e.v.carrington@qmul.ac.uk. 2. National Bowel Research Centre and GI Physiology Unit, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Anorectal manometry is a common test of anal tone and contractility. However, existing measures are often criticized for their poor ability to detect functional differences between individuals with presumably normal sphincter function and individuals with fecal incontinence. We investigated whether new measures, derived from high-resolution anal manometry (HR-ARM), more accurately identify incontinent women with abnormal sphincter function than measures from conventional anal manometry (C-ARM). METHODS: We performed a prospective HR-ARM study of 85 healthy female volunteers (median age 41 years; range 18-68 years) and 403 women with fecal incontinence (median age 55; range 18-91 years) from June 2013 through December 2015. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of conventional measurements of contractility (C-ARM squeeze increment) and tone (C-ARM resting pressure) (the reference standards), with HR-ARM measures (HR-ARM squeeze increment, HR-ARM contractile integral, HR-ARM resting average, HR-ARM rest integral). We also investigated associations between symptom severity and structural sphincter integrity. RESULTS: We identified anal hypocontractility in 129 women with fecal incontinence using the C-ARM squeeze increment (32% sensitivity; likelihood ratio, 6.4), in 189 women using the HR-ARM squeeze increment (47% sensitivity; likelihood ratio, 9.4), and in 220 women using the HR-ARM contractile integral (55% sensitivity; likelihood ratio, 11.0). In contrast, HR-ARM measures of anal tone did not particularly outperform conventional measures (31% sensitivity for HR-ARM resting average vs 28% for C-ARM resting pressure). Ninety-eight of the 206 patients with fecal incontinence who were classified as having normal anal function, based on C-ARM measures, were reclassified as having abnormal function based on HR-ARM measures. CONCLUSION: In a prospective study of healthy women and women with fecal incontinence, we demonstrated that the newly developed HR-ARM contractile integral increased the sensitivity of detection of anal hypocontractility, from 32% to 55%, compared with conventional measurements of squeeze.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Anorectal manometry is a common test of anal tone and contractility. However, existing measures are often criticized for their poor ability to detect functional differences between individuals with presumably normal sphincter function and individuals with fecal incontinence. We investigated whether new measures, derived from high-resolution anal manometry (HR-ARM), more accurately identify incontinent women with abnormal sphincter function than measures from conventional anal manometry (C-ARM). METHODS: We performed a prospective HR-ARM study of 85 healthy female volunteers (median age 41 years; range 18-68 years) and 403 women with fecal incontinence (median age 55; range 18-91 years) from June 2013 through December 2015. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of conventional measurements of contractility (C-ARM squeeze increment) and tone (C-ARM resting pressure) (the reference standards), with HR-ARM measures (HR-ARM squeeze increment, HR-ARM contractile integral, HR-ARM resting average, HR-ARM rest integral). We also investigated associations between symptom severity and structural sphincter integrity. RESULTS: We identified anal hypocontractility in 129 women with fecal incontinence using the C-ARM squeeze increment (32% sensitivity; likelihood ratio, 6.4), in 189 women using the HR-ARM squeeze increment (47% sensitivity; likelihood ratio, 9.4), and in 220 women using the HR-ARM contractile integral (55% sensitivity; likelihood ratio, 11.0). In contrast, HR-ARM measures of anal tone did not particularly outperform conventional measures (31% sensitivity for HR-ARM resting average vs 28% for C-ARM resting pressure). Ninety-eight of the 206 patients with fecal incontinence who were classified as having normal anal function, based on C-ARM measures, were reclassified as having abnormal function based on HR-ARM measures. CONCLUSION: In a prospective study of healthy women and women with fecal incontinence, we demonstrated that the newly developed HR-ARM contractile integral increased the sensitivity of detection of anal hypocontractility, from 32% to 55%, compared with conventional measurements of squeeze.
Authors: P T Heitmann; P Rabbitt; A Schloithe; V Patton; P P Skuza; D A Wattchow; P G Dinning Journal: Int J Colorectal Dis Date: 2019-07-06 Impact factor: 2.571
Authors: Adil E Bharucha; Charles H Knowles; Isabelle Mack; Allison Malcolm; Nicholas Oblizajek; Satish Rao; S Mark Scott; Andrea Shin; Paul Enck Journal: Nat Rev Dis Primers Date: 2022-08-10 Impact factor: 65.038
Authors: Adil E Bharucha; Guido Basilisco; Allison Malcolm; Tae Hee Lee; Matthew B Hoy; S Mark Scott; Satish S C Rao Journal: Neurogastroenterol Motil Date: 2022-02-27 Impact factor: 3.960
Authors: Nicholas R Oblizajek; Brototo Deb; Shivabalan Shiva Kathavarayan Ramu; Zainali Chunawala; Kelly Feuerhak; Kent R Bailey; Adil E Bharucha Journal: Neurogastroenterol Motil Date: 2022-04-25 Impact factor: 3.960
Authors: Paul T Heitmann; Paul F Vollebregt; Charles H Knowles; Peter J Lunniss; Phil G Dinning; S Mark Scott Journal: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2021-08-09 Impact factor: 46.802
Authors: Mayank Sharma; Ann C Lowry; Satish S Rao; William E Whitehead; Lawrence A Szarka; Frank A Hamilton; Adil E Bharucha Journal: Neurogastroenterol Motil Date: 2021-01-18 Impact factor: 3.960