Sonographic Visualization of Fecal Loading in Adults

The aim of this study was to compare ultrasonographic assessment of fecal loading in adults with that of computed tomography. Ultrasonography (US) was performed on 43 adult patients immediately after abdominal computed tomography images had identified fecal loading in their colons. In 18 of 43 patients (haustrations-visualized cases), fecal loading was detected as crescent-shaped acoustic shadows associated with haustrations behind the strong echoes off the colon wall. In the remaining 25 patients (haustrations-not-visualized cases), fecal loading was detected as attenuating echoes with multiple high echoic spots behind weak high echoes off the colon wall in 17 patients and similar to those seen in the haustrations-visualized cases but without haustrations in 8 patients. US can be used for qualitative assessment of fecal loading in the colon. This new technique is simple and noninvasive and can be used concomitantly with physical examination to assess severity of constipation.

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