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Electrophysiological Study of the Pelvic Floor

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Colon, Rectum and Anus: Anatomic, Physiologic and Diagnostic Bases for Disease Management

Part of the book series: Coloproctology ((COLOPROCT,volume 1))

Abstract

Neurophysiologic testing is not routinely used to assess anorectal disorders. However, it can be useful in at least two instances, the first of which is to assess anorectal disorders in patients with central and peripheral neurologic diseases (e.g., trauma, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, diabetes, etc.). Anorectal disorders (incontinence and/or constipation) may be the initial symptom of these pathologies (Bardoux et al. 1997; Abbott et al. 2001) or may even be neurologic in origin. Information provided by neurophysiologic testing may help to determine the prognosis of the disease, and thus the treatment and therapeutic follow-up (Lefaucheur 2006). Secondly, in patients with a known neurologic disease, neurophysiologic testing can be used to discriminate between a bowel dysfunction and a neurologic disease since anorectal disorders in such patients are not necessarily due to a neurologic pathology, but may arise from other pathologies such as an anatomical trauma or a dynamic pelvic floor disorder. The exact mechanism of anorectal disorders in these neurologic patients will inform the therapeutic approach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM U1073, Service de Physiologie Digestive, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, CHU Rouen, 1 rue de Germont, F-76000, 76031, Rouen Cedex, France

    A. M. Leroi

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  1. A. M. Leroi
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Correspondence to A. M. Leroi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Catholic University, Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Rome, Italy

    Carlo Ratto

  2. Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Angelo Parello

  3. Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Lorenza Donisi

  4. Department of Surgical Sciences, Proctology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Francesco Litta

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Leroi, A.M. (2017). Electrophysiological Study of the Pelvic Floor. In: Ratto, C., Parello, A., Donisi, L., Litta, F. (eds) Colon, Rectum and Anus: Anatomic, Physiologic and Diagnostic Bases for Disease Management. Coloproctology, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09807-4_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09807-4_24

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