Anismus as a cause of functional constipation--experience from Serbia

Backround/Aim. Anismus is paradoxal pressure increase or pressure decrease less than 20% of external anal sphincter during defecation straining. This study analyzed the presence of anismus as within a group of patients with the positive Rome III criteria for functional constipation. We used anorectal manometry as the determination method for anismus. Methods. We used anorectal water-perfused manometry in 60 patients with obstructive defecation defined by the Rome III criteria for functional constipation. We also analyzed anorectal function in 30 healthy subjects. Results. The presence of anismus is more frequent in the group of patients with obstructive defecation compared to the control group (a highly statistically significant difference, p