PURPOSE: To evaluate fecal continence, anorectal manometry (AM) and profilometry (P), in patients operated for congenital megacolon, using either the modified Duhamel technique (MDT) or the modified transanal rectosigmoidectomy (MTR) technique. METHODS: 42 patients were evaluated clinically and via AM and P, for postoperative control. The resting, coughing, voluntary contraction, maintained voluntary contraction and perianal stimulation pressures were investigated. The rectosphincteric reflex was tested and the simple and enhanced pressure curves were evaluated. The three-dimensional profilometric outline was produced. Student's t, chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis (p<0.05). RESULTS: AM showed mean resting pressures of 53.44 mmHg for MDT and 60.67 mmHg for MTR, and mean voluntary contraction pressures of 94.50 mmHg for MDT and 95.47 mmHg for MTR. There was no statistical difference between the groups. The shapes of the simple and enhanced pressure curves did not present any statistical difference, independent of the surgical technique used. CONCLUSION: The two surgical techniques were equivalent. MDT caused greater incidence of postoperative constipation that MTR did. AM and P were shown to be excellent tests for postoperative follow-up among these patients.

No abstract

No abstract

A 4-day-old infant with acute appendicitis (AA) due to incarceration of a right inguinal hernia is presented. Although appendicitis is the most common condition requiring abdominal surgery, the reported occurrence of AA subsequent to neonatal hernia incarceration is exceptionally rare.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Anorectal malformations comprise a spectrum of anomalies that continue to be difficult to treat, even today. The aim was to evaluate the fecal continence of children who underwent posterior sagittal anorectoplasty due to anorectal malformations, via computerized anorectal manometry and profilometry. DESIGN AND SETTING:Prospective study at Universidade Federal de São Paulo.METHOD: 82 patients (56.1% boys; 43.9% girls) of mean age 85.5 months were evaluated. They were divided into continent, partially continent and incontinent groups. Age, sex, manometric variables and profilometric parameters were studied. The results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS:Among the 82 patients, 37.8% were continent, 25.6% were partially continent and 36.6% were incontinent. The overall mean resting pressure was 22 mmHg, and the means for the continent, partially continent and incontinent groups were, respectively, 30.7 mmHg, 23 mmHg and 14.7 mmHg. The overall mean pressure response to voluntary contraction was 56 mmHg, and the means for the groups were 65.4 mmHg, 55.8 mmHg and 46.6 mmHg, respectively. The rectosphincteric reflex was absent in 82.9% of the cases. In the profilometry analysis for all patients together, blue (20 to 50 mmHg) and yellow (50 to 80 mmHg) were predominant, and there was a similar distribution for the continent and partially continent patients. However, among the incontinent patients, green (< 20 mmHg) and blue prevailed.CONCLUSIONS: Manometric and computerized profilometric analyses were an excellent method for postoperative evaluations on patients with intermediate and high anorectal anomalies, and for therapeutic planning.

the same observer. Sacral radiographic images were reviewed and the SR calculated from anteroposterior and images in the lateral position. All images were obtained before surgery and analysed by the same observer, while a third analysed the results. Results were considered statistically significant at P < 0.001. RESULTSSeventeen patients were deemed continent, seven partially continent and 18 incontinent; there was no significant difference in SR among the three groups. When fecal continence was analysed in relation to changes in the findings on computed tomography of the lumbosacral spine, patients with sacral agenesis had a significantly higher frequency of fecal incontinence than the others, and all had a SR below 'normal' .

No abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate an experimental model for anorectal anomalies and their principal associated malformations induced by ethylene thiourea (ETU). METHODS: Rat fetuses were utilized, divided into two groups: experimental group - fetuses from rats that received ETU on the 11th day of gestation at the dose of 125 mg/kg, diluted in distilled water to 1% concentration (12.5 ml/kg); and control group - fetuses from rats that received distilled water alone, at a volume of 12.5 ml/kg. On the 21st day of gestation, the animals were sacrificed by hypoxia in a carbon dioxide chamber, followed by laparotomy to remove the fetuses. These were initially examined externally to determine the sex and whether anorectal anomalies and malformations of the vertebral column and tail were present. Then, with the aid of microscopy, the fetuses underwent exploratory laparotomy to characterize the type of anorectal anomaly and investigate urological malformations. RESULTS: None of the fetuses in the control group presented anorectal anomaly, vertebral column malformation or urological structural alterations. In the experimental group, 71% presented anorectal anomaly, 80% presented vertebral column alterations and 35% presented urological alterations. CONCLUSION: The model described was shown to be easy to implement and presented results that allow its use in studying anorectal anomalies and associated malformations.