Last update:
08-Jul-2004

Anorectal incontinence constitutes a major medical and social problem. It may be defined as the inadvertent or uncontrolled passage of enteric content and it is mainly due to damage of the anal sphincter mechanism and to disorder of the anorectal sensibility. Management of anorectal incontinence may be conservative or surgical after the accurate diagnosis of the cause, which is achieved by a good history, physical examination and special investigations.

Key words: Anorectal incontinence, Anorectal pathophysiology, Anorectal physiology, Anorectal physiology tests, Fecal incontinence.