Clinical value of transperineal ultrasound in evaluating the diagnostic grade of rectocele in Chinese women with obstructed defecation syndrome: An observational study

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) in diagnosing rectocele, rectal intussusception (RI), enterocele, perineal descent (PD), and cystocele in Chinese women with obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS), and to determine the grading of rectocele via TPUS. Between January 2019 and December 2021, 107 obstructed defecation syndrome patients, with a mean age of 49.76 years, received TPUS and defecation proctography (DEP). Both methods were used to diagnose anorectal angle, rectocele, RI, enterocele, and PD, while cystocele and uterine prolapse were diagnosed only through TPUS. Agreement between DEP and TPUS diagnostic results was compared using Cohen kappa statistics. Seventy-six rectoceles were reported following DEP and 72 after TPUS. DEP detected 7 enteroceles, 6 of which were diagnosed simultaneously by TPUS. 43 patients presented dyssynergic defecation (DD) upon DEP, while 51 upon TPUS. DEP and TPUS detected PD in 13 and 11 patients respectively, and RI in 82 and 73, respectively. Rectocele (kappa = 0.738), RI (kappa = 0.711), DD (kappa = 0.774), enterocele (kappa = 0.847), and PD (kappa = 0.625) were obtained by Cohen kappa statistics, which indicated a good agreement between DEP and TPUS. The cutoff values for the diagnosis of moderate and severe rectocele with TPUS were 12.05 mm (AUC: 0.941) and 18.50 mm (AUC: 0.977), respectively. The DEP-determined and TPUS-determined anorectal angles were significantly correlated in the resting and Valsalva states (P < .01). Compared with DEP, while maintaining good agreement in detecting rectocele, RI, DD, enterocele, and PD, TPUS is a repeatable and noninvasive alternative. Threshold values of 12.05 mm and 18.50 mm on TPUS may diagnose moderate and severe rectocele, respectively.