MEASUREMENT OF COLONIC TRANSIT-TIME IN CHILDREN

Transit times through the whole colon and its segments were measured in 10 healthy children and 14 children suffering constipation secondary to myelomeningocele. The subjects ingested radio-opaque markers on three successive days, and on the fourth a plain abdominal roentgenogram was taken using fast film. In the healthy children, total colonic transit time (mean +/- SD) was 37.8 +/- 6.2 h, with segmental times of 10.8 +/- 3.5 h for the right colon, 12.2 +/- 2.7 h for the left, and 14.7 +/- 2.1 h for the rectosigmoid; upper normal limits of 17.8 h for the right colon, 17.6 h for the left, 19.1 h for the rectosigmoid, and 50.2 h for the total colonic transit time were established. In the constipated children, the total transit time was 59.9 +/- 5.4 h, with segmental times of 15.9 +/- 2.3 h for the right colon, 18.9 +/- 2.3 h for the left, and 25.0 +/- 2.6 h for the rectosigmoid. The technique described is simple, is easy to use in clinical practice, and involves a lower radiation dose than other methods. It may prove useful for measurement of colonic transit time in suitable patients.