Usefulness of High Resolution Manometry in Constipation

Constipation is a frequent symptom that is reported by more than 10% of the general population. In a few case, constipation is resistant to medical standard care, including osmotic and stimulant laxatives. The diagnosis of colonic inertia may be suspected in these patients although diagnostic criteria for colonic inertia may vary from one country to another. In France, the diagnosis of colonic inertia is based on manometric study of the colorectal contractile activity using manometric probe. Using conventional manometric catheters, severe alteration of the colorectal motility is found in a very small subset of patients, who may later benefit from surgery. The recent use of high resolution manometric probe allowed to map more precisely colorectal motility, but whether these new parameters are relevant remains to be assessed. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic performance of a new high resolution manometric probe by comparing healthy volunteers to patients suspected of colonic inertia.