Is Dyssynergic Defecation an Unrecognized Cause of Chronic Constipation in Patients Using Opioids?

OBJECTIVES: The impact of opioids on anorectal function is poorly understood but potentially relevant to the pathogenesis of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). To evaluate anorectal function testing (AFT) characteristics, symptom burden, and quality of life in chronically constipated patients prescribed an opioid (OIC) in comparison with constipated patients who are not on an opioid (NOIC). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 3,452 (OIC = 588 and NOIC = 2,864) chronically constipated patients (Rome 3) who completed AFT. AFT variables included anal sphincter pressure and response during simulated defecation, balloon expulsion test (BET), and rectal sensation. Dyssynergic defecation (DD) was defined as an inability to relax the anal sphincter during simulated defecation and an abnormal BET. Patients completed Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean age of the study cohort was 49 years. Most patients were women (82%) and whites (83%). Patients with OIC were older than NOIC patients (50.7 vs 48.3, P = 0.001). OIC patients were significantly more likely to have DD (28.6% vs 21.4%, P < 0.001), an abnormal simulated defecation response on anorectal manometry (59% vs 43.8%, P < 0.001), and an abnormal BET (48% vs 42.5%, P = 0.02) than NOIC patients. OIC patients reported more severe constipation symptoms (P < 0.02) and worse quality of life (P < 0.05) than NOIC patients. DISCUSSION: Chronically constipated patients who use opioids are more likely to have DD and more severe constipation symptoms than NOIC.

Retinoic acid receptor beta variant-related colonic hypoganglionosis.

Retinoic acid receptor beta (RARB) variants are heavily linked to pathologies of neural crest cell migration. The purpose of this report is to present a 23-month-old male with the previously described R387C RARB gain-of-function variant whose gastrointestinal issues and long-term constipation lead to the discovery of colonic hypoganglionosis. This case further delineates the pattern of malformation associated with RARB variants. The findings are also consistent with the known etiology of aganglionic colon due to failed neural crest cell migration.

Motility of the left colon in children and adolescents with functional constpation; a retrospective comparison between solid-state and water-perfused colonic manometry.

BACKGROUND: Using water-perfused (WP) high-resolution manometry, we recently demonstrated that children with functional constipation (FC) lacked the postprandial increase in distal colonic cyclic motor patterns that was observed in healthy adults. Our aim was to determine if similar results could be detected using a solid-state (SS) manometry catheter. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 19 children with FC (median age 11.1 years, 58% male) who underwent colonic manometry with a SS catheter (36 sensors, 3 cm apart). Data were compared with previously published data using a WP catheter (36 sensors, 1.5 cm apart) recorded from 18 children with FC (median age 15 years; 28% male). KEY RESULTS: The cyclic motor patterns recorded by the SS catheter did not differ from those previously recorded by the WP catheter. There was no detected increase in this activity in response to the meal in either group. Long-single motor patterns were recorded in most patients (n = 16, 84%) with the SS catheter. The number of these events did not differ from the WP recordings. In the SS data, HAPCs were observed in 4 children prior to the meal, in 5 after the meal. This did not differ significantly from the WP data. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These data recorded by SS manometry did not differ from WP manometry data. Regardless of the catheter used, both studies revealed an abnormal colonic response to a meal, indicating a pathology which is not related to the catheter used to record these data.

[Hypnotherapeutic treatment of children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain disorder].

Many school children complain about recurrent abdominal pain. These children have diminished quality of life, increased school absence and functional disability. Despite the high prevalence and well-documented consequences for patients, their families and society, there is a remarkable lack of evidence-based treatments available. Hypnotherapeutic treatment (HT) has shown promising results. In this review, we discuss current research on HT of these patients. In conclusion, further studies are needed to confirm the effect of HT on functional abdominal pain disorder and to optimise the treatment format.

Rationale, development, and design of the Altering Intake, Managing Symptoms (AIMS) dietary intervention for bowel dysfunction in rectal cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: Bowel dysfunction is a common, persistent long-term effect of treatment for rectal cancer survivors. Survivors often use dietary modifications to maintain bowel control. There are few evidence-based interventions to guide survivors on appropriate diet modifications for bowel symptom management. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and design of the Altering Intake, Managing Symptoms (AIMS) intervention to support bowel dysfunction management in rectal cancer survivors. METHODS: The AIMS intervention is a ten-session, telephone-based diet behavior change intervention delivered by trained health coaches. It uses dietary recall, participant-completed food and symptom diaries, and health coaching guided by motivational interviewing to promote bowel symptom management and improved diet quality. Based on the Chronic Care Self-Management Model (CCM), the AIMS Intervention is designed to improve self-efficacy and self-management of bowel symptoms by coaching survivors to appropriately modify their diets through goal setting, self-monitoring, and problem-solving. The intervention targets survivors with stage I-III rectosigmoid colon/rectum cancer who are 6 months post-treatment, 21 years and older, and English-speaking. CONCLUSIONS: The design and development process described in this paper provides an overview and underscores the potential of the AIMS intervention to positively impact the quality of long-term survivorship for rectal cancer survivors. An ongoing pilot study will inform the design and development of future multi-site Phase II and III randomized trials.

Los nuevos criterios de Roma (IV) de los trastornos funcionales digestivos en la práctica clínica / The new Rome criteria (IV) of functional digestive disorders in clinical practice

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Colonic and anorectal motility testing in the high-resolution era.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The past few years have seen an increase in the number of research and clinical groups around the world using high-resolution manometry (HRM) to record contractile activity in the anorectum and colon. Yet despite the uptake and growing number of publications, the clinical utility and potential advantages over traditional manometry remain undetermined. RECENT FINDINGS: Nearly all of the publications in the field of anorectal and colonic HRM have been published within the last 3 years. These studies have included some data on normal ranges in healthy adults, and abnormalities in patient groups with constipation or fecal incontinence, anal fissure, perineal descent, rectal cancer, and Hirschsprung's disease. Most of the studies have been conducted on adults, with only three published studies in pediatric populations. Very few studies have attempted to show advantages of HRM over traditional manometry SUMMARY: High-resolution anorectal and colonic manometry provide a more comprehensive characterization of motility patterns and coordinated activity; this may help to improve our understanding of the normal physiology and pathophysiology in these regions. To date, however, no published study has conclusively demonstrated a clinical, diagnostic, or interventional advantage over conventional manometry.

Pediatric Functional Constipation Gastrointestinal Symptom Profile Compared With Healthy Controls.

OBJECTIVES: Patient-reported outcomes are necessary to evaluate the gastrointestinal symptom profile of patients with functional constipation. Study objectives were to compare the gastrointestinal symptom profile of pediatric patients with functional constipation with matched healthy controls with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Gastrointestinal Worry Scales and to establish clinical interpretability in functional constipation through identification of minimal important difference (MID) scores. The secondary objective compared the symptom profile of patients with functional constipation with patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Worry Scales were completed in a 9-site study by 116 pediatric patients with functional constipation and 188 parents. Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales measuring stomach pain, stomach discomfort when eating, food and drink limits, trouble swallowing, heartburn and reflux, nausea and vomiting, gas and bloating, constipation, blood in poop, and diarrhea were administered along with Gastrointestinal Worry Scales. A total of 341 families with healthy children and 43 families with patients with IBS completed the scales. RESULTS: A broad profile of gastrointestinal symptoms and worry were reported by patients with functional constipation in comparison with healthy controls (P < 0.001) with large effect sizes (>0.80) across the majority of symptom domains. Patients with IBS manifested a broader symptom profile than functional constipation, with differences for stomach pain, stomach discomfort when eating, and worry about stomachaches, with similar constipation scores. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients with functional constipation report a broad gastrointestinal symptom profile in comparison with healthy controls and only somewhat fewer symptoms than patients with IBS, highlighting the critical need for more efficacious interventions to achieve healthy functioning.

[FUNCTIONAL BLOATING, CONSTIPATION AND DIARRHEA].

Functional disorders and diseases are usually diagnosed by exclusion when there is no clear presence of inflammatory, anatomic, metabolic, or neoplastic processes which would explain the symptoms and difficulties of the patient. The Rome III Diagnostic Criteria for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGID) are used in clinical and scientific medicine. Functional disorders of the upper gastrointestinal system in adults are classified into six groups. Group C are functional bowel disorders which include irritable bowel syndrome (C1), functional bloating (C2), functional constipation (C3) and functional diarrhea (4). The symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders are often a combination of disrupted physiological functions, such as an increase in motor reactivity of the intestine, visceral hypersensitivity, impaired immune functions and inflammatory intestinal mucosa followed by change in the intestinal bacterial flora and disrupted central nervous system-enteric nervous system regulation because of exposure to different psychosocial and sociocultural factors. The symptoms must be present for at least six months before clinical manifestation of the disease and also must be currently present and diagnostically confirmed in the last three months. Diagnostic procedures are targeted individually, depending on the patient age, nature of symptoms, and other clinical and laboratory characteristics. Treatment is based on health education, nutrition counseling, medication and psychological support.

[Relationship Pattern of Mothers with Functional Constipated Infants]. / Beziehungsmuster bei Müttern von Kleinkindern mit funktioneller Obstipation.

Relationship Pattern of Mothers with Functional Constipated Infants The present article investigates whether or not mothers of infants with functional constipation have a specific relationship pattern. This question is addressed by analyzing the data collected at the day care clinic for infant regulation disorders with appropriate methods like the questionnaire for the assessment of adjustment of mothers with children in infancy (EMKK, Engfer u. Codreanu, 1984) described here. The evaluation of data was performed in two ways: first with regard to the clinical study group of mothers with infants (age range from one to five years) suffering from functional constipation, and then compared to a clinical control group of mothers with infants who are coping with regulation disorders (by definition per Papousek, Schieche, Wurmser, 2010). With this comparison differences between the two groups are made visible and clinical interventions can be deduced accordingly. If the groups do not differ in their pattern described by the EMKK, the possible interventions can be adopted from the well-studied area of regulation disorders. The focus on analyzing the data of mothers with functional constipated infants serves as an important starting point for providing the best possible alignment of clinical intervention.

[Functional diarrhea - pathophysiology, investigation and treatment]. / Funktionelle Diarrhoe - Pathophysiologie, Abklärung und Therapie.

The most important reason for functional diarrhea in clinical practice is diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is characterized by chronic intermittent diarrhea and abdominal pain. The pathophysiology underlying IBS is complex and includes visceral hypersensitivity, abnormal gut motility and autonomous nervous system dysfunction as well as genetic and psychosocial factors. Treatment should be tailored to the individual's symptoms and involves general measures, pharmacological treatments, dietary interventions, psychotherapy and complementary and alternative approaches. The following manuscript will give an overview over pathophysiology, reasonable investigations and treatment of IBS.

Prevalence of colonic motor or evacuation disorders in patients presenting with chronic nausea and vomiting evaluated by a single gastroenterologist in a tertiary referral practice.

BACKGROUND: Nausea and vomiting are thought to result from upper gastrointestinal dysfunctions. Our clinical observations led to the hypothesis that colonic motor dysfunction is associated with nausea and vomiting. METHODS: We reviewed electronic medical records (EMR) of 149 patients presenting with complaints of nausea and/or vomiting in a tertiary gastroenterology practice to investigate the association with disorders of colonic motor or evacuation disorders. We extracted demographics, gastric emptying (GE in 149) and colonic transit (CT in 138) of solids, ascending colon emptying half-time (AC t1/2 ), rectal evacuation by anorectal manometry (ARM) in 91 and balloon expulsion test (BE) in 55 patients. We estimated the proportions with delayed GE or CT, based on the 5th percentile of GE (in 319) and CT in 220 healthy volunteers using same method. KEY RESULTS: Among 11 patients with nausea and/or vomiting with only GE measured, five had delayed and six normal GE. Among the 149 patients, 77 (52%) patients had evacuation disorders, confirmed by objective tests in 68 patients, and clinical examination in nine patients. In the 138 patients with both GE and CT measured, 106 (76%) had both normal GE and CT, 11 (8%) only delayed GE, 16 (11%) normal GE with delayed CT, and five (3%) delayed GE and CT. Among 21 patients (15%) with delayed CT, nine had slow AC t1/2 and 12 evacuation disorder. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: In patients with chronic nausea and/or vomiting in gastroenterology practice, evaluation of colonic motility and rectal evacuation should be considered, since about half the patients have abnormal functions that conceivably contribute to the presenting nausea and/or vomiting.

Novel diagnostics and therapy of colonic motor disorders.

Colonic motor abnormalities are implicated in several gastrointestinal disorders including constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and functional diarrhoea. Defining the colonic abnormalities is difficult and several novel techniques including, high-resolution fibre optic manometry, wireless motility capsules, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging have emerged to help in the diagnosis of these conditions. Coupled with the developing techniques are the novel treatments that look to restore normal colonic motility. These treatments include pharmacological agents (pharmabiotics, serotonin agonist, secretagogues) and medical devices (sacral nerve stimulation, transcutaneous electrical stimulation and biofeedback). This review summarizes the novel techniques used to record and define colonic motor abnormalities and the current status of the emerging treatments used to treat them.

Trastornos funcionales y motores digestivos / Functional and motility gastrointestinal disorders

Como cada año en el congreso de la Asociación Gastroenterológica Americana (Digestive Diseases Week [DDW] ), se han presentado muchísimos trabajos, unos mejores y otros no tan buenos, de los que hemos intentado hacer una labor de discriminación y de síntesis. En términos generales, podemos decir que se consolidan ciertos avances tecnológicos, con incorporación plena a la práctica clínica, como la impedanciometría y la manometría de alta resolución. Surgen nuevos datos fisiopatológicos que apuntan aún más a la unificación y conexión inexorable de los aspectos orgánicos y psicológicos (modelo biopsicosocial) en los trastornos funcionales digestivos (TFD). Se pusieron muchas esperanzas en los criterios de Roma III para mejorar el diagnóstico de los TFD y, en especial, de la dispepsia funcional. Sin embargo, su aplicación práctica ha sido bastante desalentadora. Además, al menos 2 estudios han comprobando que dichos criterios son poco discriminativos para diferenciar los subtipos de DF y que existe mucho solapamiento con la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico. Respecto a los 2 principales TFD, la dispepsia funcional y el síndrome del intestino irritable (SII), se presentaron nuevos datos sobre la importancia de los factores genéticos, microinflamatorios o psicológicos en la etiopatogenia de ambos trastornos. Desde el punto de vista terapéutico se presentaron resultados de la eficacia y seguridad de acotiamida en la dispepsia funcional, y de linaclotida y prucaloprida en el estreñimiento, tanto idiopático como asociado al SII. Diversos estudios, e incluso metaanálisis, han demostrado la utilidad del biofeedback en el tratamiento del estreñimiento. Aun así, su eficacia se ha puesto en duda debido a ciertas deficiencias metodológicas de algunas investigaciones. En este DDW se presentaron trabajos que confirman la utilidad del biofeedback, ya sea hospitalario o domiciliario, en el estreñimiento por disinergia. Se recogen también algunos aspectos de especial interés en el diagnóstico y tratamiento del síndrome de rumiación, del dolor torácico de posible origen esofágico y del síndrome de hiperemesis por canabinoides (AU)

As in previous years, a huge number of studies were presented at the Congress of the American Gastroenterology Association (Digestive Diseases Week [DDW] ), some of which were bet ter than others. The present article at tempts to extract and summarize the most interesting findings reported. In general terms, certain technological advances have been consolidated, with full incorporation into clinical practice, such as impedancemetry and high-resolution manometry. New physiopathological data are coming to light that increasingly indicate the in extricable link between organic and psychological factors (the biopsychosocial model) in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). Despite the high hopes that the Rome III criteria would improve the diagnosis of FGID and especially that of functional dyspepsia, their practical application has been fairly discouraging. Moreover, at least two studies have demonstrated that these criteria cannot be used to differentiate subtypes of functional dyspepsia and that there is wide overlap with gastroesophageal reflux disease. New data were presented on the role of genetic, microinflammatory and psychological factors in the etiopathogenesis of the two main FGID: functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The results on the safety and efficacy of acotiamide in functional dyspepsia and of linaclotide and prucalopride in idiopathic and IBS-associated constipation were also presented. Several studies, and even meta-analyses, have demonstrated the utility of biofeedback in the treatment of constipation. Even so, the efficacy of this therapy has been questioned due to certain methodological deficiencies in some studies. In DDW 2011, studies confirming the utility of biofeedback, whether hospital- or home-based were presented, in dyssynergy constipation. The present article also mentions certain features of special interest in the diagnosis and t reatment of rumination syndrome, thoracic pain of possible esophageal origin and cannabinoid-induced hyperemesis syndrome (AU)

Perfil manométrico anorrectal en pacientes con constipación crónica asociada a ciego móvil / Anorectal manometric profile in patients presenting with chronic constipation associated with a mobile cecum

Introducción: La constipación constituye un serio problema de salud que afecta a millones de personas en el mundo. La manometría anorrectal realiza una valoración objetiva de la dinámica del segmento anorrectal para el diagnóstico de la constipación, la incontinencia anal, etc. Desde 1989, quedó demostrado que el ciego móvil causa alteraciones orgánicas del colon que conducen a la constipación crónica. Objetivo: Determinar, mediante manometría, la existencia de un patrón común, reproducible, que puede favorecer el diagnóstico de constipación crónica asociada a ciego móvil. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación descriptiva en 90 pacientes, 40 niños y 50 adultos, entre los años 2006 y 2009, en el Instituto de Gastroenterología, todos con diagnóstico de constipación crónica rebelde a tratamiento convencional, a los cuales se les efectuó estudio radiológico específico de colon por ingestión de bario, como Patrón Oro para diagnosticar ciego móvil. Se les realizó manometría anorrectal con un PC Polygraf HR, mediante un sistema de catéteres de perfusión continua y los registros fueron evaluados en una computadora con programa de análisis. Se encontró que la presión de reposo del esfínter anal interno fue X= 79,6 mmHg para el grupo ni±os con 65,8 por ciento de relajación para el reflejo recto-anal inhibitorio. En los pacientes adultos, la presión del esfínter anal interno fue de X= 80,9 mmHg y 68,2 por ciento de relajación del esfínter anal interno. La presión de contracción del esfínter anal externo, la longitud del canal anal y la sensibilidad rectal fueron normales en ambos grupos. Se demostró un patrón común y reproducible con hipertonía del esfínter anal interno y un déficit de relajación dado por un reflejo recto-anal inhibitorio incompleto en 94 por ciento de los casos...(AU)

Introduction: Constipation is a serious health problem affecting to millions of persons at world level. The anorectal manometry makes an objective assessment of the rectoanal segment dynamics for constipation diagnosis, the anal incontinence, etc. From 1989, it was demonstrated that the mobile cecum provoke organic alterations of colon leading to chronic constipation. Objective: To determine by manometry, the existence of a common and reproducible pattern favoring the diagnosis of mobile cecum-associated chronic constipation. Methods: A descriptive research was conducted in 90 patients (40 children, 50 adults) between 2006 and 2009 in the Institute of Gastroenterology all of them diagnosed with chronic constipation refractory to conventional m treatment, as well as a barium-meal specific radiologic colon study as Gold Standard to diagnose presence of mobile cecum. A anorectal manometry was carried out using a PC Polygraf HR, by a catheter system of continuous perfusion and registries were assessed in a computer with analysis program. It was found that the rest pressure of internal anal sphincter was of X = 79,6 mm Hg for the group of children with a 65,8 percent of relaxation for the inhibitory rectoanal reflex. In adult patients, the pressure of internal anal sphincter was of X= 80,9 mm Hg and a 68,2 percent of relaxation of internal anal sphincter. The pressure of contraction of external anal sphincter, the anal canal length and the rectal sensitivity were normal in both groups. There was a common and reproducible pattern with hypertonicity of internal anal sphincter and a relaxation deficit due to an incomplete inhibitory rectoanal reflex in the 94 percent of cases. Conclusion: There was a relation among these findings and the potential decrease in transportation of the inhibitory neurotransmitters produced as consequence of the mobile cecum leading to a chronic constipation(AU)

A personalized systems medicine approach to refractory rumination.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: As with many functional disorders, rumination syndrome poses a great dilemma when approached via standard of care. This case report illustrates how rumination syndrome may be effectively approached using the systems medicine. METHOD: The patient's treatment involved two distinctively different treatment cycles. Initially she was treated in an academic tertiary inpatient and outpatient multidisciplinary program with a primary symptom-based focus with little improvement. She subsequently sought care at a systems-based integrative medicine clinic within an academic family medicine centre, which identified the inciting events, diagnosed the current pathology and developed a stepwise treatment plan. RESULTS: The patient is now rumination free. CONCLUSION: Chronic or refractory diseases, especially when regarded as 'functional' may be approached by a systems medicine methodology, which allows physicians to fine-tune the vast amount of specific pieces of knowledge to achieve an integrated approach to managing the whole person.