Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1991-7-25
pubmed:abstractText
Phantom sensations are well known and almost inevitable sequels to limb amputation, whereas similar phenomena are only rarely described after rectum amputation (phantom rectum). Our study attempted to assess the frequency and character of phantom rectum. All surviving patients (n = 22), who had undergone abdominoperineal surgical resection of the rectum in the period 1980-1986 at our clinic, were interviewed by a standard questionnaire and underwent a physical examination. Sixty-eight per cent of the patients experienced a sensation of a missing rectum (phantom rectum), and in 27% of these or 18% of all patients this sensation was painful (phantom pain). The most common symptoms were sensations of flatus and/or faeces in a normal rectum, phantom flatus or phantom faeces. The phantom pains were described as either pricking and shooting or like haemorrhoids or hard stools that would rupture the rectum. Neither age, sex, preoperative pain, the Duke classification of the tumour nor the healing of the perineal wound seemed related to the likelihood of phantom rectum. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying phantom-related phenomena following amputation have not yet been elucidated. This study describes a relatively unknown phantom-related clinical entity after amputation and may thus contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0304-3959
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
44
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
289-91
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1991
pubmed:articleTitle
Phantom-related phenomena after rectal amputation: prevalence and clinical characteristics.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Surgery, Horsens Hospital, Denmark.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article