Korean J Neurogastroenterol Motil.  2006 Jun;12(1):48-54.

The Effect of Psychosocial Factors on False Positive Results of Anorectal Physiologic Studies for the Diagnosis of Pelvic Floor Dyssynergia in Healthy Volunteers

• Song HJ
• Lee JS
• Im HH
• Hong SJ
• Jeong IS
• Cho JY
• Kim JO
• Shim CS
• Kim BS

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: False positive results are common in the diagnosis of pelvic floor dyssynergia (PFD) using anorectal physiologic studies (ARPS). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of psychosocial factors on false positive results of ARPS for the diagnosis of PFD in healthy volunteers.
METHODS
Forty healthy subjects were enrolled. All subjects underwent a complete self-rated inventory assessing psychological distress (SCL-90-R), personal history, anorectal manometry, balloon expulsion testing, electromyography, video-defecography and evaluation of colonic transit time. We compared a variety of psychosocial parameters between subjects with abnormal and normal results of the ARPS.
RESULTS
There was a tendency to have a more somatizing personality in subjects with changes in the anorectal angle less than 15 degrees during straining compared to subjects with a change in the anorectal angle more than 15 degrees (p=0.092). However, there were no other differences in psychosocial factors when compared to the results of the anorectal physiologic study. A group with suggestive pelvic floor dyssynergia by video-defecography had more college graduates than the normal group (p<0.05). Also, this group had a greater income than the normal group (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that psychological factors do not affect the results of ARPS. However, socioeconomic factors affect the results of defecography in the diagnosis of PFD in healthy subjects.

Keyword

Defecography; Psychosocial factors; Pelvic floor dyssynergia; Anorectal monometry; Anorectal physiologic study

MeSH Terms

Ataxia*
Colon
Defecography
Diagnosis*
Electromyography
Healthy Volunteers*
Humans
Manometry
Pelvic Floor*
Psychology*
Socioeconomic Factors