Anal endosonography in children with chronic constipation

Abstract

Background. Hypertrophy of the internal anal sphincter may be apparent in some children, but its significance has not yet been determined. Objective. To assess anal endosonographic findings in children with chronic constipation. Materials and methods. We performed anal endosonography in 46 children with chronic constipation and compared the results with values considered normal. Results. We did not find a significant relationship between age and thickness of the internal or external anal sphincters. The clinical response to medical management did not differ between patients with or without sphincter hypertrophy. Conclusions. Although we did not find a significant correlation between sphincter hypertrophy and constipation or age, further studies may clarify its place amongst other techniques which are used in the investigation of anorectal pathology.