Defecography: a practical approach

The purpose of this pictorial essay is to describe the main morpho-functional imaging features, physiological and pathological, of the recto-anal region and pelvic floor as depicted with conventional video defecography. Defecography has dramatically improved our knowledge of dysfunctions of evacuation. The most frequent indications and related disorders are presented from a database of more than 2500 examinations conducted in two radiology departments over a period of 15 years. Imaging features of the common recto-anal and pelvic flor disorders are described: rectal prolapse, rectocele, intussusception, descending pelvic floor syndrome, puborectalis muscle syndrome, enterocele, and sigmoidocele. Conventional video defecography still represents the gold standard examination for the identification and staging of morphological and functional disorders of the recto-anal region and pelvic floor in evacuation dysfunctions.