Faecal Retention: a Common Cause in Functional Bowel Disorders, Appendicitis and Haemorrhoids
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PHD THESIS DANISH MEDICAL JOURNAL Faecal retention: A common cause in functional bowel disorders, appendicitis and haemorrhoids – with medical and surgical therapy Dennis Raahave quality of life and work (12,13). Currently, IBS is subdivided into This review has been accepted as a thesis together with seven original papers by University of Copenhagen 13th of june 2014 and defended on 6th of october 2014. IBS-C (constipation dominant), IBS-D (diarrhoea dominant), IBS-M Tutor: Randi Beier-Holgersen (mixed) and IBS-A (alternating), but does not have a clear aetiology. Official opponents: Steven D Wexner, Niels Qvist and Jacob Rosenberg. Constipation has many causes, including metabolic, endocrine, Correspondence: Department of Surgery, Colorectal Laboratory, Copenhagen University neurogenic, pharmacologic, mechanical, psychological, and idiopa - Nordsjællands Hospital, Dyrehavevej 29, 3400, Hilleroed, Denmark. thic, but only a few studies have focussed on the length of the colon E-mail: [email protected] as a cause of constipation (14,15,16, 17). Both constipation and IBS sufferers constantly seek care because of persisting symptoms in Dan Med J 2015;62(3):B5031 spite of many investigative procedures and therapeutic efforts, incurring high health care costs (12). When physically examining such a patient, two observations are ARTICLES INCLUDED IN THE THESIS: evident. Frequently a soft mass in the right iliac fossa is palpated 1. Raahave D, Loud FB. Additional faecal reservoirs or hidden constipation: a link between functional and organic bowel disease. Dan Med Bull 2004;51:422-5. with tenderness (suspicious of a faecal reservoir in the right colon) 2. Raahave D, Christensen E, Loud FB, Knudsen LL. Correlation of bowel symptoms with colonic and immediate ano-rectoscopy is often impossible because of faecal transit, length, and faecal load in functional faecal retention. Dan Med Bull 2009;56:83-8. 3. Raahave D, Loud FB, Christensen E, Knudsen LL. Colectomy for refractory constipation. Scand retention in the rectum. Other parts of the colon are then suspected J Gastroenterol 2010;45:592-602. of being filled with faeces, and a somatic disturbance could be be- 4. Raahave D, Christensen E, Moeller HE, Kirkeby LT, Knudsen LT, Loud FB. Origin of acute appendicitis: fecal retention in colonic reservoirs: a case control study. Surg Infect 2007;8:55- hind the abdominal and defaecatory complaints. The major func- 61. tions of the colon are to conserve water, to allow bacteria to split di- 5. Raahave D. Stapled anopexy for prolapsed haemorrhoids: a new operation. Ugeskr Laeg 2002;164:3862-5. etary fibre into absorbable nutrients (with gas production), and to 6. Raahave D, Jepsen LV, Pedersen IK. Primary and repeated stapled hemorrhoidopexy for store, propel, and expel faeces. Thus, the nature of faecal content is prolapsing hemorrhoids: follow-up to five years. Dis Colon Rectum 2008;51:334-41. 7. Halberg M, Raahave D. Perirectal, retroperitoneal, intraperitoneal and mediastinal gas after in turn dependent on the food eaten. stapled haemorrhoidopexy. Ugeskr Laeg 2006;168:3139-40. I was inspired to focus on the faecal content of the colon by Denis Burkitt (1911-1993), who searched for a common cause of BACKGROUND colorectal diseases, such as diverticula, polyps, malignancy, appendi- Patients with abdominal symptoms are among the most frequent to citis and haemorrhoids (18,19). The occurrence of haemorrhoids has seek health care. The symptoms are difficult to attribute to a specific been linked to constipation (20,21). Thus, the ultimate aim was to intra-abdominal organ; for example right iliac fossa pain could be identify a cause of the persisting abdominal symptoms and defeca- referred to groin hernia, appendicitis, a caecum tumour, ureterolithi- tion disorders in order to treat these patients with medical and/or asis or, in females gynaecological disease. Consequently, many surgical therapies. patients go through several investigative procedures, including upper and lower endoscopies (eventual pill camera endoscopy), THESIS TOPICS AND OBJECTIVES ultrasound and CT or other scanning, and blood tests, to establish a – Explore whether abdominal and anorectal symptoms and diagnosis. However, a number of these patients will end up not physical signs co-exist in patients with bowel complaints (1). having an organic, but a functional, diagnosis. Functional gastroin- – Explore whether abdominal and anorectal symptoms correlate testinal disorders are identified by symptoms that differentiate with the physiological parameters, colon transit time (CTT), between the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Thus, functional and faecal loading (faecal retention) (2). bowel disorders include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and func- – Determine the impact of colon length on CTT and faecal tional constipation. In industrialized countries, IBS afflicts 10-20 % of load (2). the population (8,9) and affects the quality of life (10) and work – Explore whether clusters of gastrointestinal symptoms and signs productivity (11). In addition, constipation is a burden to many may belong to the same underlying disease dimension (1,2). people in the western world, ranging from 2 to 27 %, reducing their – Explore whether dietetic and medical interventions reduce CTT DANISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 1 and faecal load, eliminate abdominal symptoms and restore The studies were conducted according to the Declaration of normal defecation patterns (1,2). Helsinki. – Compare CTT, faecal load, and colon length between operated and non-operated patients refractory to conservative treatment METHODS by assessing the type of colectomy, complications, functional Symptoms and physical signs results, and patient satisfaction (3). A standardized questionnaire covering 19 selected abdominal and – Explore whether patients with acute appendicitis have pro- anorectal symptoms (Figure 1, (1, 2)) was completed for each longed CTT or faecal retention, and whether these observations patient to report the presence or absence of a symptom. A symptom are associated with the occurrence of a faecalith in the had certain dominance if the patients responded affirmatively. appendix (4). Anamnestic data included chronic diseases, profession and employ- – A novel surgical procedure, stapled haemorrhoidopexy, is ment status, and any previous abdominal, genital, or anal opera- introduced for curing haemorrhoids linked with faecal retention tions. The presence or absence of familiar colorectal cancer was also and the results are assessed, including complications, reasons recorded. Each patient underwent a physical examination, including for failure, need for repeated procedures, and the durability of ano-rectoscopy to observe possible rectal constipation. The patients the operation to 5 years of follow-up (5,6,7). with haemorrhoids were asked to strain while the anoscope was – Explore whether faecal retention is “a common cause” withdrawn to observe sliding mucosa through the anus. A surgical underlying functional bowel disorders, acute appendicitis, and anatomy score was developed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) to haemorrhoids (1,2,3,4,5,6). describe the appearance of the anus (5,6). A score of 1 indicated a normal anus without visible mucosa or skin tags and a score of 7 MATERIAL AND METHODS was used for the worst prolapsing haemorrhoids. Anal anatomy PATIENTS, CONTROLS, AND STUDY DESIGN scores were obtained pre- and postoperatively and at follow-up. A random sample of 251 patients was selected from 645 patients The anal tonus and squeeze of the anal sphincter was assessed between September 12, 1988 and January 19, 1999 (1). The patients digitally. had been referred for abdominal symptoms, such as bloating and pain, and defecation disorders and physical signs, such as abdominal Colon transit time (CTT) distension and haemorrhoids. A second cohort of 281 patients was After the first mostly clinical study (1), physiological and anatomic studied between June 19, 1997 and August 31, 2004, including colonic measures were applied in the studies that followed (2,3,4). objective physiological measures of colorectal function (2). The Most authors have supported the use of these measures, especially criteria for inclusion were a suspicion of constipation with abdominal for defining pathophysiological subtypes of chronic constipation symptoms and defecation disorders. Both studies had observational (23,24). The best information about colorectal function in constipa- and interventional components. A new study was derived from the tion has been obtained from colonic transit studies using bismuth as latter study, consisting of 35 patients refractory to conservative a tracer substance (25), coloured glass beads (26), carmine (27), treatment for constipation, who underwent surgery (3). A case- radioactive chromium (28), or radioopaque polyethylene pellets control study was carried out parallel to the second study between (29). Ingested radio-opaque markers are counted in the stools (29) October 11, 1999 and December 18, 2002, including 68 patients or on plain films of the abdomen (30); the latter has been shown to scheduled for appendectomy (4). be a reproducible method (30,31). Because radio-opaque markers A cohort of 372 persons over 18 years of age was selected at are not absorbed, do not alter gut metabolism, and have a specific random from the National Civil Register to serve as a control group. gravity to gut content, they can be assumed to travel at the same The control subjects were free of gastrointestinal