Anorectal Manometric Dysfunctions in Newly Diagnosed, Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anorectal dysmotility is common in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), but there have been few evaluations in newly diagnosed PD patients. METHODS: We conducted anorectal manometric evaluations in 19 newly diagnosed, drug-naïve, early-stage PD patients. All of the PD patients were questioned regarding the presence of anorectal symptoms. RESULTS: Anorectal manometry was abnormal in 12 of the 19 patients. These abnormalities were more common in patients with more severe anorectal symptoms, as measured using a self-reported scale. However, more than 40% of patients with no or minimal symptoms also exhibited manometric abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that anorectal dysmotility manifests in many early-stage PD patients, which this represent evidence for the involvement of neuronal structures in such nonmotor manifestations in PD.