THE RETRORECTAL SOFT TISSUE SPACE IN CHILDREN: NORMAL VARIATIONS AND APPEARANCES IN GRANULOMATOUS COLITIS

The normal range of thickness of the retrorectal soft tissue space was established in a series of 160 children with vague abdominal disorders, but without signs of inflammatory large bowel disease. The width measured at the level of the shortest distance between the rectum and the sacrum varied between 1 and 5 mm.

Eight of 28 children with granulomatous colitis had abnormally thick retrorectal soft tissues. The increase in width was slight in all but 3 of the cases and was generally less marked than the figures given in ulcerative colitis. Marked fibrosis was noted at operation in 5 cases. In 1 additional case the fibrosis was less pronounced, but edema of the adipose tissue and enlarged lymph nodes were present. Moderate fibrosis was furthermore seen in 2 cases with normal soft tissues on roentgen examination.

For the differentiation from ulcerative colitis, measurement of the thickness of the retrorectal space appears to be insignificant. The prognostic importance of the retrorectal swelling is at present undetermined.

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