Enterocoele is a marker of severe pelvic floor weakness.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to evaluate the relationship between the presence of an enterocoele and grade of rectal prolapse (RP).

METHOD: Defaecating proctograms of consecutive patients presenting to the Oxford Pelvic Floor Clinic between January 2004 and November 2008 were analysed. Patients were included if they had full thickness internal (grades 1-4 prolapse) or external RP (grade 5 prolapse). All those included were analysed with regards to the presence of an enterocoele.

RESULTS

Three hundred and seventy-one patients [322 (87%) women and 49 (23%) men] were found to have a degree of RP. One out of eight (12.5%) patients with grade 1 RP, 10/42 (18.5%) with grade 2 RP, 34/125 (27%) with grade 3 RP, 62/135 (46%) with grade 4 RP and 23/49 (47%) with grade 5 full thickness external RP had an enterocoele present. This was a statistically significant trend (Pearson chi(2) test P < 0.0002). There was a significantly higher proportion of enterocoeles in women [125/322 (39%) than in men (5/49 (10%)] (P < 0.0001) and a higher likelihood of having an enterocoele with advancing age (P < 0.0001). Within the study, there was no significant difference in the proportion of nulliparous and parous women with enterocoeles (P = 0.8); there were a significantly higher proportion of enterocoeles in hysterectomized women (P = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Enterocoele is increasingly seen with advancing RP severity. This suggests that the two findings are part of the same pelvic floor process. These data support the hypothesis that enterocoele is a marker of severe pelvic floor weakness. Enterocoele is seen more frequently in females particularly after hysterectomy.