RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Inter- and intraindividual variation in pressure-volume relations of the rectum in normal subjects and patients with the irritable bowel syndrome.
JF Gut
JO Gut
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology
SP 1062
OP 1068
DO 10.1136/gut.31.9.1062
VO 31
IS 9
A1 G P Kendall
A1 D G Thompson
A1 S J Day
A1 J E Lennard-Jones
YR 1990
UL http://gut.bmj.com/content/31/9/1062.abstract
AB The relation between intrarectal volume and pressure during increasing rectal distension by a latex balloon were studied on repeated occasions in 10 healthy adult volunteers to define variations within and between individuals. A wide intersubject variation in the maximum tolerable volume (58-908 ml) and pressure (12.2-108.8 cm H2O) at this end point was seen, and these two values were correlated (r = 0.78). Intrasubject variation in maximum tolerable volume also occurred which was related to study order and progressively reduced with repeated study. In 26 unselected patients with pain predominant irritable bowel syndrome similar intersubject variation was noted and virtually all patients data fell within the calculated 95% confidence limits of the normal individuals. Differentiation between patients and normal subjects was not possible from knowledge of rectal responses. These noticeable inter- and intrasubject variations in rectal responses to distension need to be considered whenever similar techniques are proposed for use in the study of rectal disease or of rectal response to treatment.