ArticleEClinicalMedicine2020
Coexistent faecal incontinence and constipation: A cross-sectional study of 4027 adults undergoing specialist assessment.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Malone antegrade continence enema for treating adult constipation and fecal incontinence: a systematic review of the literature.International journal of colorectal disease · 2026Pooled it
- Transanal irrigation: Bridging the gap in treatment for chronic constipation and/or faecal incontinence-A systematic review and management guidance.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of anal motor and rectal sensory dysfunction in male and female patients undergoing anorectal manometry for symptoms of faecal incontinence.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2022Pooled it
- Sensation of Incomplete Evacuation in Patients With Fecal Incontinence: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Tertiary Referral Cohort.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2026Article
- A comprehensive scoring system for defecation disorders derived by merging various validated patient-reported outcome measures for fecal incontinence, chronic constipation, and obstructed defecation.International journal of colorectal disease · 2026Observational
- New Insights into a Conceptual Bionic Colonic Bioreactor: A Model, 'Probiotics in Human Colon', Showing How Probiotics Alleviate Constipation from a Bioprocess Engineering Perspective.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Improved diagnosis of faecal incontinence in the gastroenterology domain: The time to act has come.United European gastroenterology journal · 2024Article
- Faecal incontinence-a comprehensive review.Frontiers in surgery · 2024Review
- Rectal hyposensitivity: a common pathophysiological finding in patients with constipation and associated hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2022Article
- Faecal incontinence in adults.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2022Review
- Health aspects of faecal incontinence are complex and multi-layered.United European gastroenterology journal · 2022Article
- Coexistent faecal incontinence and constipation: Common but frequently overlooked.United European gastroenterology journal · 2022Article
- Translumbosacral Anorectal Magnetic Stimulation Test for Fecal Incontinence.Diseases of the colon and rectum · 2022Observational
- Understanding the physiology of human defaecation and disorders of continence and evacuation.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2021Review
- Fatigability of the external anal sphincter muscles using a novel strength training resistance exercise device.American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn contrast to paediatric and geriatric populations, faecal incontinence and constipation in adults are generally considered separate entities. This may be incorrect.
methodsCross-sectional study of consecutive patients (18-80 years) referred to a tertiary unit (2004-2016) for investigation of refractory faecal incontinence and/or constipation and meeting Rome IV core criteria (applied post-hoc) for self-reported symptoms. We sought to determine how frequently both diagnoses coexisted, how frequently coexistent diagnoses were recognised by the referring clinician and to evaluate differences in clinical characteristics between patients with single or both diagnoses.
findingsStudy sample consisted of 4,027 patients (3,370 females [83·7%]). According to Rome IV criteria, 807 (20·0%) patients self-reported faecal incontinence in isolation, 1,569 (39·0%) patients had functional constipation in isolation, and 1,651 (41·0%) met criteria for both diagnoses (coexistent symptoms). In contrast, only 331 (8·2%) patients were referred for coexistent symptoms. Of the 1,651 patients with self-reported coexistent symptoms, only 225 (13·6%) were recognised by the referrer i.e. 86·4% were missed. Coexistent symptoms were most often missed in patients referred for faecal incontinence in isolation. In this group of 1,640 patients, 765 (46·7%) had concomitant symptoms of functional constipation. Opioid usage, comorbidities, childhood bowel problems, mixed incontinence symptoms, prolapse symptoms and structural abnormalities on defaecography were associated with reclassification.
interpretationOver 40% of adults referred for anorectal physiological investigation had coexistent diagnoses of faecal incontinence and functional constipation, based on validated criteria. This overlap is overlooked by referrers, poorly documented in current literature, and may impact management.
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