Examination of the rectum – one of the simplest and most widespread screening examinations of the rectum is the digital rectal examination, performed with a finger.
The patient bends forward, kneels in the knee-elbow position or lies on their side. During the examination, the doctor inspects the anus, including the surrounding area, and then, wearing a rubber glove coated with lubricant, gently inserts a finger through the anus into the rectum, the large bowel.
The examining finger can then feel all the way round (360 degrees) the rectum. This makes it possible to feel not only growths on the rectumlining, internal haemorrhoids and fissures of the anuscan be felt; in men, the size and consistency of the prostate gland, and in women, any tenderness of the vagina and cervix, can also be assessed.
In both sexes, the areas around the rectum can also be palpated (tenderness, inflammation, signs of abscess formation).
The rectumand anuscan also be examined with fibre-optic instruments (rectoscope, anoscope). The examination is best performed after a bowel movement and a cleansing enema.
With a rectoscope, measured from the anus, a section of about 20-25 cm can be assessed, while an anoscope allows the folds of the anus to be smoothed out, so that fissures and haemorrhoidal changes can be seen more clearly.
If there are problems with bowel movements or pain, functional tests (pressure measurement, video-recorded examinations) may also be carried out in specialist centres.
