Rectal exam

When rectal examination (including rectal examination , or rectal exploration ), the rectum ( rectal ), and adjacent structures of the pelvis examined by a physician.

In human medicine , the rectal examination is carried out with the finger (digital) . Are assessed u. a. the tone of the sphincter muscle, the mucous membrane of the rectum, in women the uterus and adnexa and in men the prostate as well as the appearance and consistency of the stool on the glove. Colloquially as well as among doctors, this type of examination is jokingly referred to as a “little harbor tour”.

In veterinary medicine, the veterinarian carefully inserts his gloved hand, coated with lubricant, into the rectum of a suitably sized animal (cattle, horse) in order to examine the rectum and the back of the abdomen . A rectal examination is also used when only one or more fingers are inserted to examine the rectum. First, the mucous membrane of the rectum is examined and, as far as possible, the intestines , spleen , kidneys , blood vessels , pelvic bones and urogenital tract. In large animals, the rectal examination is of particular importance in the field of gynecology ; it is necessary, for example, for cycle diagnostics or for pregnancy examinations of cows or mares (manually or sonographically ).

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !