Colonic phasic motor activity is stronger in patients with repaired anorectal malformations than patients with severe colonic dismotility.

In this study, colonic manometry studies of the patients with repaired anorectal malformations (ARM) were compared with those of patients with severe colonic dismotility due to chronic constipation (CC) and acute pseudo-obstruction (PSO). The patients with repaired ARM were accepted as group #1 (n=10). The patients with CC and acute PSO composed group #2 (n=10). Eight-channel water perfused catheter was inserted into the colon under sedation. Colonic activity was recorded in three phases including fasting, after meal and after bisacodyl installation. The results were assessed by Pearson χ(2) test, P<.05 was considered statistically significant. Mean age was 9.6 and 12.1 in groups #1 and #2, respectively. Ninety-five per cent of all patients had propagated contractions (PCs) and 20% and 40% of the patients in group #1 had PCs during fasting and after meal, respectively. These contractions were seen 30% and 70% of the patients in group #2, but no statistical difference was found between the groups. PCs after bisacodyl were observed 90% and 40% of the patients in groups #1 and #2, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (P=.019). In this study, the prominent difference between the groups was found in response to intraluminal stimulation. This finding may indicate that the colon of the patients with ARM has more capacity to develop PCs by peripheral stimuli and more regular enteric nervous integrity.