Rectal prolapse: Diagnosis and clinical management

Abstract

The exact cause of rectal prolapse is not well addressed, but it is often associated with long standing constipation, advanced age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and some neurological disorders. Rectal prolapse is usually only a symptom, which needs a focus on discovery of the underlying pathology or disorder. Three different clinical presentations are often combined and called rectal prolapse. Rectal prolapse can be divided into full thickness rectal prolapse where the entire rectum protrudes beyond the anus, mucosal prolapse where only the rectal mucosa (not the entire wall) prolapses, and internal intussuception wherein the rectum collapses but does not exit the anus. Although constipation and straining may contribute to the development of rectal prolapse, simply correcting these problems may not improve the prolapse once it has developed. There are many different approaches to surgical correction of rectal prolapse.

Keywords: Rectal Prolapse; Procidentia; Complete prolapse