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PubMed2005

The antegrade continence enema successfully treats idiopathic slow-transit constipation.

BACKGROUND: Antegrade continence enemas (ACEs) are successful for constipation and/or fecal incontinence caused by anorectal malformations or spina bifida but have been thought to be less successful in the treatment for patients with colonic dysmotility. We studied the long-term efficacy of ACE in a large group of patients with idiopathic slow-transit constipation (STC). METHODS: We identified 56 children with an appendicostomy for ACE with radiologically proven STC. An independent investigator (SKK) performed confidential telephone interviews. RESULTS: We assessed 42 of 56 children (31 boys) of mean age 13.1 years (range, 6.9-25). Mean follow-up was at 48 months (range, 3-118). Mean symptom duration before appendicostomy was 7.5 years (range, 1.4-17.4). Indications for appendicostomy were soiling (29/42), inadequate stool evacuation (7/42), and recurrent hospital admissions for nasogastric washouts (6/42). Both quality of life (Templeton quality of life [P < .0001]) and continence (modified Holschneider continence score [P < .0001]) improved with ACE. Soiling frequency decreased in 32 of 42 (11/32 completely continent). Thirty-seven of 42 children had reduced abdominal pain severity (P < .0001) and frequency (P < .0001). Complications included granulation tissue (33/42), stomal infection (18/42), and washout leakage (16/42). Fifteen of 42 children ceased using the appendicostomy (7/15 symptoms resolved). Thirty-five of 42 families felt that their aspirations had been met. CONCLUSIONS: Antegrade continence enemas were successful in 34 (81%) of 42 children with STC, contradicting views that ACEs are less effective in patients with colonic dysmotility.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMed2003

Combined approach to functional constipation in children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The authors' 15-year experience with children shows a high percentage of recurrence of functional constipation (FC) with conventional treatment. These data, confirmed in the international literature, led them to develop a new therapeutic approach. The aim of this study was to achieve intestinal control and avoid recurrence of FC in children through use of medical-psychological treatment. METHODS: The authors studied 25 children (18 boys; mean age, 4.7 years; range, 2.10 to 7), 20% of whom had anal fissure, 30% retentive soiling, 52% pain on defecation, and 88% fecal retention owing to FC. Children and parents were questioned about eating and sleeping habits, school, toilet training, and daily routine. Treatment included increasing water and fiber intake, laxatives, and family therapy including making rules and working on autonomy and paternal role. RESULTS: Mean onset of FC was 3.5 years, after "stressful events" in 88%. The questionnaire shows that 68% lacked parental autonomy and authority; 84% of children decided on their own about eating habits and sleeping; 68% had a "peripheral" father with a mother-child symbiotic relationship. After one month of therapy, 92% of children showed a modification of at least 2 behavioral patterns; after 3 months, 88% had regular bowel movements. During follow-up (range, 6 to 28 months), 48% had 2 or 3 recurrent episodes. After one year, 68% had reinforced the new behavioral patterns with resolution of the pathologic aspects. CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of childhood functional constipation showed consistent therapeutic results by making rules and by equalizing family roles.

Cathartics↗

PubMed2000

Antegrade continence enema for the treatment of neurogenic constipation and fecal incontinence after spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of an antegrade continence enema stoma formed in a paraplegic man with intractable constipation and fecal incontinence. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Spinal cord injury unit, Veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Spinal cord injury (SCI) patient with T12 paraplegia. INTERVENTION: Surgical formation of antegrade continence enema stoma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time of bowel program care, ease of fecal elimination, safety of procedure. RESULTS: Bowel care time was decreased from 2 hours to 50 minutes daily; 6 bowel medications were discontinued; fecal incontinence was eliminated; and no surgical or medical side effects noted after the procedure. CONCLUSION: The antegrade continence enema procedure is a safe and effective means of treating intractable constipation and fecal incontinence in the adult SCI patient. This option should be considered for those persons in whom medical management of bowel care has been unsuccessful.

Cecostomy↗

PubMed2006

[Treatment of severe chronic constipation through the antegrade continent enema procedure].

The antegrade continent enema procedure was first described in 1990 by Malone for the treatment of severe fecal neurogenic incontinence in children. Since then, this technique has been successfully carried out in adults, as well as in patients with refractory constipation. The procedure provides a continent and catheterizable channel, generally an appendicostomy, through which antegrade washouts are given to produce colonic emptying. We describe the case of a 23-year-old man with severe constipation and overflow fecal incontinence who underwent an appendicostomy. There were no immediate postoperative complications and saline washouts were started on the fourth day. Since then, the patient has had a bowel movement between 1 and 3 hours after each washout, has recovered continence, and no longer wears an absorbent pad.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Percutaneous endoscopic colostomy of the left colon: a new technique for management of intractable constipation in children.

BACKGROUND: The antegrade colonic enema is accepted as effective for management of intractable constipation in children when conventional bowel management has failed. This study describes experience with a new, minimally invasive technique, the distal antegrade colonic enema, which involves percutaneous endoscopic colostomy of the left colon. METHODS: Fifteen children with refractory constipation and soiling who had radiographic evidence of megarectum and/or distal colonic delay were selected for the procedure. The junction of the descending and the sigmoid colon was identified colonoscopically, and the percutaneous endoscopic colostomy tube, through which antegrade distal colonic enema are administered, was inserted. RESULTS: Fourteen children underwent distal percutaneous endoscopic colostomy insertion. The median time required for the procedure was 30 minutes (20-50 minutes). Excluding one child (technical difficulties with percutaneous endoscopic colostomy placement), median post-procedural hospital stay was 4 days (2-27 days). Thirteen children were no longer soiling, and improvement in quality of life was reported at 2 months' follow-up. At 6 months' follow-up, 90% of children were clean during intervals between enemas. All children evaluated at 12 months' follow-up remained clean. Median duration of follow-up was 12.5 months (2-51 months). CONCLUSIONS: The distal percutaneous endoscopic colostomy is a simple alternative to established methods for delivery of antegrade enemas. It is less invasive and on reversal leaves only minor scarring.

Child↗

PubMed1978

Anterior ectopic anus: a common cause of constipation in children.

Anterior ectopic anus is increasingly being recognized as a cause of constipation in infancy. Experience is reported with surgical treatment of 20 patients with anterior ectopic anus. This form of anal ectopia is associated with a syndrome of constipation that begins at birth, straining on defecation, and anterior displacement of an otherwise normal anus and sphincter. It is seen almost exclusively in females. Posterior anoplasty with sphincterotomy is curative.

Anal Canal↗

PubMed1978

Constipation caused by anterior location of the anus and its surgical correction.

Slight anterior displacement of the anus is a common developmental abnormality that represents the mild end of the imperforate anus spectrum. This malformation is a common cause of constipation. This type of constipation can be cured by posterior anoplasty. An experience is described in 134 cases who were operated upon from 1960 through 1977.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Constipation: endemic in the elderly? Gerontopathophysiology, evaluation, and management.

Chronic constipation in the elderly is most likely a consequence of lifelong patterns of bowel and dietary habits and laxative use along with the interaction of pathophysiologic (from chronic diseases) and, perhaps, senescent changes in gut motility. Gerontopathophysiologic changes of gut motility, the evaluation of, and a step-care approach to the management of constipation are discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed1986

Failure of rectal expulsion as a cause of constipation: why fibre and laxatives sometimes fail.

High-fibre diet and laxatives are not always successful in the treatment of severe constipation. In a group of thirteen women with intractable constipation three experimental models of rectal evacuation showed that all had a disorder of defaecation. None could expel 120 ml barium paste as fast or as completely as could ten normal women; six could expel hardly any barium. Only three of the thirteen could expel a balloon containing 50 ml water from the rectum, whereas all of six normal subjects could do so easily. Four of the patients with repeated straining efforts could expel no more than 10% of a 500 ml saline enema, whereas six normal subjects rapidly passed 40-80%. It is postulated that dietary and drug treatment designed to soften and increase the bulk of the stools fails to help some patients because they find it difficult to expel even semi-solid or liquid stool. Electromyography showed that these patients tend to contract rather than relax the striated muscle of the pelvic floor on attempted defaecation. Their failure to defaecate is due to incoordination of the pelvic floor rather than an abnormality of the stool or a disorder of the colon.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1995

Dopaminergic defect of enteric nervous system in Parkinson's disease patients with chronic constipation.

Clinical studies suggest that gut disorders are common in Parkinson's disease, but the morphological basis is unknown. Depletion of dopamine-containing neurons in the central nervous system is a basic defect in Parkinson's disease. We compared colonic tissue from 11 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, 17 with adenocarcinoma (normal tissue was studied), and five who underwent colectomy for severe constipation. Immunohistochemistry was used to stain myenteric and submucosal neurons for dopamine, tyrosine hydroxylase, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). Each class of neurons was quantified as a percentage of the total neuronal population stained for the marker protein gene product 9.5. Nine of the 11 Parkinson's disease patients had substantially fewer dopaminergic myenteric neurons than the other subjects (mean 0.4 [SE 0.2] vs 6.9 [2.3] in controls and 5.7 [2.0] in constipated subjects). There was very little difference between the groups in numbers of tyrosine-hydroxylase and VIP neurons. Two Parkinson's disease patients had similar distributions of all types of neurons, including dopaminergic myenteric neurons, to the controls. High-performance liquid chromatography showed lower levels of dopamine in the muscularis externa (but not mucosa) in four Parkinson's disease patients than in four controls (7.3 [5.1] vs 24.2 [4.6] nmol per g protein), but levels of dopamine metabolites were similar in the two groups. The identification of this defect of dopaminergic neurons in the enteric nervous system in Parkinson's disease may lead to better treatment of colorectal dysfunction in this disease.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1999

Idiopathic constipation: too few stools and too little knowledge.

The precise abnormalities of colonic motility patterns in idiopathic constipation, and the alterations at the cellular, neural, myogenic and biochemical levels that underlie these patterns, are not yet understood. One promising approach in the treatment of constipation seems to be to design drugs that can stimulate GMCs to produce mass movements and consequently defaecation. This could possibly be achieved with the selective 5-HT4 receptor agonists prucalopride and SDZ HTF-919, which are currently in advanced clinical trials. Other mechanisms that provide a means to induce GMCs, such as NK1 receptor agonism, deserve further exploration.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Opioid antagonists: a review of their role in palliative care, focusing on use in opioid-related constipation.

Opioid antagonists have well-established indications in the reversal of life-threatening opioid toxicity, but also hold considerable promise for other applications in palliative care practice, particularly management of opioid-related constipation. We briefly review current understanding of opioid receptors, focusing on their complex role in gastrointestinal physiology. We summarize the pharmacology, conventional indications, and clinical usage of three major groups of opioid antagonists, including a promising new peripherally acting agent, methylnaltrexone, which is not commercially available. We suggest an approach to administering opioid antagonists for reduction of life-threatening opioid toxicity in patients with pain. The literature on opioid-induced constipation and its treatment with opioid-antagonists is reviewed in detail. Finally, other potential uses of opioid antagonists in palliative care are described, especially strategies for reducing such opioid side effects as nausea and pruritus and for improving analgesia or reducing tolerance by concomitantly administrating both an opioid agonist and low dosages of an antagonist.

Constipation↗

PubMed2001

Slow transit constipation.

Slow transit constipation is a clinical syndrome predominantly affecting young women, characterized by constipation and delayed colonic transit, occasionally associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. The disorder spans a spectrum of variable severity, ranging from patients who have relatively mild delays in transit but who are otherwise indistinguishable from irritable bowel syndrome patients at one extreme, to patients with colonic inertia or chronic megacolon at the other extreme. Potential mechanisms for impaired colonic propulsion include fewer colonic HAPCs or a reduced colonic contractile response to a meal. The cause of the syndrome is unclear. The treatment is primarily medical; surgery is reserved for patients with severe disease or colonic inertia. Recognition and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction is crucial for patients treated medically or surgically. Collaborative studies are necessary to determine the pathophysiology of this disorder and to ascertain the efficacy of novel prokinetic agents.

Constipation↗

PubMed2001

Constipation and fecal incontinence in the elderly.

Although constipation and fecal incontinence are common symptoms in the elderly, relatively little research has been done to differentiate physiologic changes in rectoanal function resulting from aging and pathologic changes resulting from diseases occurring as patients age. Certain physiologic changes occur in many older patients and may predispose them to the development of constipation or fecal incontinence. These symptoms need the same thoughtful evaluation and management in the elderly as in younger patients. Results of therapy often can be good, leading to alleviation of suffering and the ability to lead a fuller life.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Fiber intake, constipation, and risk of varicose veins in the general population: Edinburgh Vein Study.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between fiber intake, constipation, and clinical venous disease in the general population. The Edinburgh Vein Study was comprised of 1566 men and women aged 18-64 years who were selected at random from the age-sex registers of 12 general practices. Fiber intake, intestinal transit time, defecation frequency and the prevalence of straining at stool were all found to be significantly different between the sexes. Men who reported that they strained to start passing a motion showed a higher prevalence of mild and severe trunk varices compared to men who did not strain. After adjustment for social class, BMI and mobility at work, this group of men showed a significantly elevated risk of having severe trunk varices (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.16, 6.58). In contrast, no consistent relationships were seen among women. Overall, within this Western general population, an association between dietary fiber, constipation and the presence or severity of varicose veins was not supported.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

The effect of constipation on rectal dosimetry following prostate brachytherapy.

The purpose of this study is to report the effect of dilatation of the anorectum on rectal dosimetry following an 125I prostate implant. Three months following prostate brachytherapy, 2 computed tomography (CT) scans of the prostate gland were obtained within 90 minutes of each other. The first CT scan revealed a dilated anorectum secondary to constipation. The second CT was obtained following the administration of an enema with a successfully evacuated rectum. Differences in radiation doses to the distended and empty rectum were computed via the mean dose, the maximum dose per slice, the distance from the base, and in terms of the surface of the anterior quadrant of the rectum receiving 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, 200%, and 250% of the prescribed dose. The dose to the rectal wall was substantially increased in the distended state for all evaluated parameters. In general, the mean dose to the rectal wall was increased by a factor of 1.5 in the distended state. In both scenarios, the dose to the rectal wall peaked near midgland. In terms of 10 degrees rectal wall sectors receiving a given percentage of the prescribed minimal peripheral dose, S%mPD, the S100, S125, S150, S175, S200, and S250 were substantially greater for the distended versus the empty rectum. The magnitude of the percentage difference in dose between the distended and evacuated rectum increased with dose level while the difference in the number of sectors receiving a given dose level was greatest at 125% and 150% of the prescribed dose. We recommend detailed postimplant attention to bowel habits for at least 2 half-lives of the implanted isotope to minimize rectal distention, decrease radiation dose to the anterior rectal wall, and subsequently minimize potential constipation related rectal toxicity.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2002

A clinical approach to constipation.

The economic impact of constipation is large. The condition prompts an estimated 2.5 million physician visits per year, with 100,000 referrals to gastroenterologists. Almost all (85%) of these physician visits result in a prescription for a laxative. Each year, American spend approximately $800 million on laxatives. For patients referred for diagnostic evaluation, the average cost is approximately $3000, mostly due to the cost of colonoscopy. This article discusses the pathophysiology of constipation and presents a practical approach to evaluating and treating this disorder.

Cathartics↗

PubMed2002

Lack of objective evidence of efficacy of laxatives in chronic constipation.

Laxatives are commonly used to treat constipation and can be bought over-the-counter in many countries, although some preparations need to be prescribed by physicians. A meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively evaluate the published evidence on the efficacy of laxatives in constipation. We found that large, well-controlled, published studies whose data were comparable were lacking. Of 250 articles, 35 met the inclusion criteria but only 11 yielded usable data (N = 375 patients on laxatives, 174 on placebo). There was an effect of laxatives on stool frequency (mean increase 1.9 stools per week) and stool weight (mean increase 476 g) but this was not clearly distinguishable from that of placebo therapies (1 stool and 434 g, respectively) in studies up to 4 weeks in duration. Similarly, studies of 5-12 weeks yielded no differences overall. These results cannot definitively rule out laxatives as an effective treatment, due to the poor published evidence. Better evidence is required to justify the continued expenditure of funds on laxatives by both patients and formularies.

Adult↗