Anal Speculum

The history of the anal speculum dates back centuries, possibly to the Ancient Greeks. The word speculum is taken from the Latin and means mirror., although in older texts is was referred to as the dioptra. The speculum is designed for doctors to be able to see into bodily cavities such as the vagina and the anus.

The first recorded use of the speculum is from Ancient Greece and its use was later taken up by the Romans, mostly for vaginal examinations, speculum artifacts have been found by archeologists in Pompeii. The first actual vaginal speculum was developed from the original instrument design by Manon Sims, it was a cylindrical device with a rounded end divided into two by a hinged device. The speculum is inserted into the vagina or in this case the anus and is used to dilate the area so that the doctor can identify what the problem might be.

Stainless Steel Anal Speculum

The original speculum would have been made from stainless steel and this continued up until recently, stainless steel was easy to sterilise. Modern hospitals tend to use plastic specula, which are sterile, disposable instruments that are only intended to be used once, cutting the risk of transferring infection, which was a real problem in the early days of the device. However, the speculum that is used in the operating theatre, though sterile, is often made of stainless steel as in the past,

Types of Specula

Whereas the ancient world had only one type of speculum, nowadays there are different types, depending on what they are being used for. The tube/tubes or what are often called the blades of the device are the things that allow the doctor to see the area under investigation. The anus is dilated to the point where, if necessary, other surgical instruments can be introduced into the area. This type of procedure is necessary when the doctor takes a biopsy, a portion of the area under investigation, so that it can be sent for analysis to determine whether cancer or something such as Crohn’s disease is present.

An anal speculum may have one, two or three, tubes or blades, depending on the type of investigation. The different types of blades are then further sub-divided to enable various procedures.

The speculum is widely used to diagnose vaginal as well as anal and rectal problems. Most people will have their initial appointment with their family doctor, unless they have already been referred to a specialist because the doctor suspects that the patient may have a serious problem. The use of an anal speculum is actually less prevalent than the use of a vaginal speculum. Many women nowadays attend their doctor’s surgery at least once every five years for a vaginal smear test, which is undertaken with a speculum.

The most common type of anal spectrum, the anoscope, is a tubular shaped device with a bullet nosed insert that is removed once the anoscope is in place, this particular design of spectrum is one that has been in use for hundreds of years.