Colonic pressures and motility patterns in health and disease

Abstract

Summary Recent advances in our knowledge of colonic motility in health and disease have been reviewed. Utilizing relatively simple methods, colonic motility may be recorded from the rectum and sigmoid by intubating through the anal canal; and from the descending, transverse, and ascending colon by intubating through a colostomy stoma. Distinct types of motility patterns are recognized, and it is possible to correlate some of these with functional motor activity. Examples of the effects of drugs on colonic motility have been illustrated, and characteristic changes seen in chronic ulcerative colitis have been outlined.