Change in anorectal functions depending on sex and aging

Abstract

Of patients, who visited our hospital as outpatient from January to December 1944, 99 patients (50 male and 49 female patients; age ranging from the twenties to the seventies) without anorectal lesions were selected, and their anorectal functions were examined. The results were as follows. 1) There was no significant difference between male and female in the patients from the twenties to the sixties in maximum static pressure of anal canal, maximum voluntary pressure of anal, canal and discharge pressure. However, significant decrease was noted in the patients of both sexes in their seventies compared with the other age groups. 2) length of functional anal canal was significantly shorter in the twenties in both male and female compared with the other age groups. In the patients from the thirties to the seventies, there was no significant difference between male and female. 3) In rectal sensory threshold, maximum tolerance, and rectal compliance, no significant difference was found between male and female patients in any of the groups examined. The results suggest that anal functions are more susceptible to the influence of sex and aging than rectal functions and that special care must be taken on the selection of surgical modes by taking sex and aging into account in the surgical operation of anorectal lesions.