Imaging of pelvic floor disorders involving the posterior compartment on dynamic MR defaecography

Abstract

Disorders related to defaecation are widely common in the population and are often overlooked. Patients may present with a wide variety of symptoms such as constipation, faecal incontinence, painful defaecation, incomplete defaecation, hard stools, rectal bleeding, and mass per rectum. Complete clinical examination with radiological imaging, using dynamic MR Defaecography, can help in assessing, grading, and managing posterior compartment pelvic floor disorders and complex dysfunctions. The cases reveal a spectrum of pelvic floor disorders and complex dysfunctions including spastic pelvic floor syndrome, Grade 3 anorectal descent with rectocoele and cystocoele, tri-compartmental descent with obstructed defaecation syndrome, complete external rectal prolapse with Grade 3 abnormal anorectal descent and rectal intussusception. Contribution: This case series emphasises the importance of understanding the correlation of clinical and radiological imaging findings in posterior compartment pelvic floor dysfunctions through a series of cases presenting with clinical complaints related to defaecation.

Keywords

• pelvic floor dysfunction
• posterior compartment disorders
• anterior rectocoele
• posterior rectocoele
• rectal prolapse
• enterocoele
• mr defaecography