The Retrorectal Soft-Tissue Space in Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

During the past few years, there has been an increasing tendency toward radical surgical intervention in severe ulcerative colitis. In cases with slight or moderate inflammatory rectal changes, when the perirectal soft tissues are not involved, colectomy with preservation of the rectum and ileorectostomy is the operation of choice (Ehrenpreis et al., 2). The preoperative knowledge of the appearance of these tissues is therefore important to the surgeon. Increase of the retrorectal soft-tissue space in ulcerative colitis was reported by Ilha and Job (3) and by Edling and Eklof (1) in adults and by Rudhe (5) in children. The relationship of this finding to the inflammatory changes in the large bowel has previously received only slight attention. In the present paper this relationship will be considered at some length, as will correlation with other features of the disease. Method and Material The retrorectal soft-tissue space is roentgenologically estimated in true lateral projections of the rectum and sacr...