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Rectal Prolapse pp 41–49Cite as

Classification of Internal and External Rectal Prolapse

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Abstract

Physical examination has traditionally been, and continues to be, the mandatory initial step in the evaluation of patients with constipation or faecal incontinence. This is because the initial treatment decision and the necessity of further investigations of patients with pelvic floor dysfunction depend on primary clinical assessment of the patient [1]. Even if authors [2] found good correlation between clinical assessment and defecography in high-grade intussusceptions when studying subjects with defecatory difficulties, several reports in the nonradiologic literature have documented the relative insensitivity of the history and physical examination in diagnosing the cause of constipation and detecting pelvic organ prolapse [11, 3–6]. The common clinical physical examination tends to underestimate the degree of prolapse and may be able to diagnose only 30–40% of rectal prolapse [7]. Therefore, the precise preoperative diagnosis supplied by defecography can help in the selection of a rationale treatment programme, placing the patient into a treatment-defined group, determining the type of operation and giving objective evidence for the corrective scope and degree of operation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Diagnostic Sciences and Special Therapies, Radiology, University Hospital, Padua, Italy

    Fabio Pomerri

  2. IRCCS-Istituto Oncologico Veneto and Department of Medical Diagnostic Sciences and Special Therapies, Radiology, University Hospital, Padua, Italy

    Pier Carlo Muzzio

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  1. Fabio Pomerri
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  2. Pier Carlo Muzzio
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, General Surgery and Liver, Transplantation Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Donato F. Altomare

  2. Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Filippo Pucciani

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Pomerri, F., Muzzio, P.C. (2008). Classification of Internal and External Rectal Prolapse. In: Altomare, D.F., Pucciani, F. (eds) Rectal Prolapse. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-0684-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-0684-3_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0683-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-0684-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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