SummaryBackgroundConstipation can be diagnosed clinically using the Rome criteria. Ultrasound (US), which lacks the radiation exposure of conventional X‐ray, holds promise as a non‐invasive tool to evaluate colonic contents and constipation.AimTo examine the role of US in the assessment of constipation.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of Embase (OVID, 1984), Medline (Ovid, 1946), Cochrane Central, ClinicalTrials.gov and Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry from database inception to 26 January 2024 according to PRISMA guidelines and prospectively registered with PROSPERO. All studies using US to assess constipation or colonic contents in either adults or children were included. Rectal diameter measurements were pooled in meta‐analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scales and Joanna Briggs Institute checklists.ResultsOf 12,232 studies screened, 51 articles (6084 patients; 3422 children) describing US to assess symptoms in patients with constipation were included. Most studies used Rome criteria to diagnose constipation. Rectal diameter was associated with clinical constipation in 29 paediatric studies (3331 patients). Meta‐analysis showed the mean rectal diameter of constipated patients was significantly higher than controls (mean difference 12 mm, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 6.48, 17.93, p < 0.0001, n = 16 studies). Other features of constipation on US included posterior acoustic shadowing and echogenicity of luminal contents.ConclusionUS is an appealing imaging modality to assess luminal contents and constipation. Further well‐designed studies are required to validate US metrics that accurately identify constipation.

中文翻译：

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荟萃分析：肠道超声评估结肠内容物和便秘


摘要背景便秘可以使用罗马标准进行临床诊断。超声 (US) 缺乏传统 X 射线的辐射暴露，有望成为评估结肠内容物和便秘的非侵入性工具。目的是检验超声在评估便秘中的作用。方法我们对 Embase 进行了系统搜索(OVID, 1984)、Medline (Ovid, 1946)、Cochrane Central、ClinicalTrials.gov 和澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心（从数据库建立到 2024 年 1 月 26 日）根据 PRISMA 指南，并前瞻性地在 PROSPERO 注册。所有使用超声评估成人或儿童便秘或结肠内容物的研究均纳入其中。直肠直径测量结果汇总在荟萃分析中。使用纽卡斯尔渥太华量表和乔安娜布里格斯研究所清单评估偏倚风险。结果在筛选的 12,232 项研究中，纳入了 51 篇文章（6084 名患者；3422 名儿童）描述美国评估便秘患者症状的文章。大多数研究使用罗马标准来诊断便秘。在 29 项儿科研究（3331 名患者）中，直肠直径与临床便秘相关。荟萃分析显示，便秘患者的平均直肠直径显着高于对照组（平均差 12 毫米，95% 置信区间 (CI)：6.48、17.93，p < 0.0001，n = 16 研究）。超声检查中便秘的其他特征包括后部声影和管腔内容物的回声。结论超声检查是评估管腔内容物和便秘的一种有吸引力的成像方式。需要进一步精心设计的研究来验证准确识别便秘的美国指标。