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Sonia L. Ramamoorthy, MD
San Francisco, Calif

Arch Surg. 2003;138:1011.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Colonic inertia is a poorly understood disease process. Few studies have investigated the molecular, humoral, and physiological mechanisms that govern motility in the large intestine. Recent data have pointed toward abnormalities in the specialized cells within the muscle layers of the bowel wall, known as ICC. These cells are thought to be involved with the myoelectrical activity of the colon. The role of ICC in colonic dysmotility and in disorders such as colonic inertia remains unknown.

The article by Shafik et al compares colonic electrical activity in normal patients with that of patients with colonic inertia. This is accomplished by performing electrophysiologic studies intraoperatively. Shafik et al found significant differences in colonic electrical activity between the 2 groups. Although the data are compelling, the interpretation of the results is difficult for various reasons. A number of stimuli, including neurotransmitters, gut hormones, and intestinal peptides, can affect . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Electric Activity of the Colon in Subjects With Constipation Due to Total Colonic Inertia: An Electrophysiologic Study
Ahmed Shafik, Ali A. Shafik, Olfat El-Sibai, and Randa M. Mostafa
Arch Surg. 2003;138(9):1007-1011.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT