What Do The Test Results Show For Pudendal Nerve Latency?

A large question is what is pudendal nerve latency testing? Pudendal nerve latency testing is useless in the management of fecal incontinence.

This examination is often used to identify whether a patient suffers from urine incontinence as a result of pudendal nerve terminal motor delay (PNTML). The ability of it to direct fecal incontinence treatment has previously been questioned. The purpose of the research was to investigate if anorectal dysfunction and PNTML tests were related in any way.

In this research, data were retrospectively examined for patients who attended a pelvic floor dysfunction clinic between 2007 and 2015. PNTML (normal versus delayed) and anorectal manometry, the degree of fecal incontinence, and fecal incontinence-related quality of life were compared using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.

245 people in all underwent PNTML testing, with 91.1 percent of them being female (median age 62.2 years). In 234 people, the PNTML was found to be normal in 87% of the instances. Only the median maximum anal squeezing pressure (P = 0.04) was significantly associated with delayed PNTML in 268 subjects who underwent anorectal manometry. Delay in PNTML did not correlate with lower median fecal incontinence severity or quality of life ratings (N = 99).

These results showed that PNTML was only associated with the median maximum anal squeeze pressure and was not associated with the median mean resting anal pressure, the severity of fecal incontinence symptoms as described by patients, or changes in quality of life as a consequence of fecal incontinence. PNTML testing may not be useful for fecal incontinence and should be reevaluated in routine practice.