Pregnancy is followed by physiological digestive system adaptations. Such phenomena are related to the progesterone effect, probably due to motiline inhibition, which stimulates smooth muscles fibers. Presumably the same alterations occur in the anus, varying their pressures. The present investigation intends to evaluate the anal pressures in primigravidae. Methods - Results of examinations on sixty women from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Surgery of Santa Casa de São Paulo were selected from archives. Neither was considered ill. They were divided into four groups, each one containing fifteen patients, as follows: A. Control group: nuligravidae; B. 1st trimester primigravidae group; C. 2nd trimester group; D. 3rd trimester group. In all patients anal manometric studies were performed to obtain: A. Maximal resting anal pressure; B. Maximal squeezing anal pressure; C. Minimal straining anal pressure. Results -The data were submitted to statistical methods, reaching the following results: A. The anal resting pressure decreases; B. The maximal squeeze pressure does not change; C. The detected changes remain during the whole course of pregnancy. Conclusion- Pregnancy is followed by changes in anal pressures.
manometry; pregnancy; anal
