[Radiological diagnosis of constipation and anal incontinence caused by changes in the pelvic floor and anal sphincter. Our experience with 38 patients with constipation with or without incontinence]. / La diagnosi radiologica nella stipsi e nell'incontinenza anale secondarie ad alterazioni del pavimento pelvico e dell'apparato sfinteriale dell'ano. Nostra esperienza su 38 pazienti con stipsi associata o meno ad incontinenza.

Rectal constipation, anal incontinence and constipation combined with incontinence, are often caused by organic or simply functional changes in the pelvic floor and sphincteric apparatus. Therefore morphological as well as manometric and electromyographic studies of these anatomical parts are required. This is possible by combining two techniques: Intestinal Transit Time (ITT) and Defecatory Proctogram with Balloon (DPB). Personal experience of 38 patients with constipation with or without incontinence is reported. The results lead to the following conclusions: 1) ITT is a simple and non-invasive radiological technique that provides us with objective evidence of an impairment, i.e. constipation, whose symptoms are often only subjective; especially it allows us to identify rectal constipation, that can be caused by impairment of the anal sphincteric apparatus. 2) Using an uroprophylactic with a collar that adapts to the size of the anal duct, DPB always permits visualisation of the duct with good representation of the recto-anal angle, whose changes may be the expression of organic or only functional impairments of the anal sphincteric apparatus. Increasing use of the two radiological techniques is therefore recommended in the diagnosis of alterations of the pelvic floor or anal sphincter.

[Critical review of 222 cases of neoplastic pathology of the colon. Our experience using a computer]. / Revisione critica di 222 casi con patologia neoplastica del colon. Nostra esperienza mediante computer.

From August 1983 to December 1985, 2352 radiological examinations of the colon were performed in the Radiology Department of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Rome. From this group a sample of 222 patients was analyzed. They included 111 patients with colonic polyps and 111 with cancer. These cases were carefully examined, in terms of age, frequency of this pathology according to sex, symptom-illness rate, and the radiological data were compared with the endoscopic and histological findings. The data were processed using a computerized program. A critical correlation of the data obtained revealed that: 1) The surest symptom of colon carcinoma is blood in faeces with or without changes in defaecation frequency. Nor should isolated bowel disorders be ignored ("irritated" colon due to organic injuries). 2) The diagnostic accuracy of double contrast enema is very close to that of endoscopy, provided that intestinal cleaning is adequate (this in fact is an important aspect of the examination). 3) The mean age of patients in this group is high and cancer is more common than polyps. This seems to be due to the back of a complete diagnostic sequence, in which radiology has a specific and important role.