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Incontinência fecal em adultos

Last reviewed: 1 Jun 2025
Last updated: 24 Aug 2023

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • trauma obstétrico
  • presença de outros fatores de risco
  • ânus patuloso
  • fraca pressão de contração
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • constipação
  • incontinência urinária
  • urgência
  • perda involuntária passiva
  • perda involuntária de fezes
  • cicatrização perineal
  • fístula perianal
  • massa retal
  • prolapso retal
  • sensibilidade perianal anormal
Full details

Risk factors

  • sexo feminino
  • idade avançada
  • residentes de instituição asilar
  • parto com fórceps
  • laceração perineal de terceiro ou quarto grau
  • episiotomia
  • bebê >4 kg ou demora no segundo estágio do trabalho de parto
  • apresentação occipital posterior
  • lesões iatrogênicas do esfíncter
  • esclerose múltipla/acidente vascular cerebral (AVC)/neuropatia do nervo pudendo/lesão na medula espinhal
  • diarreia infecciosa ou doença inflamatória intestinal
  • constipação/impactação
  • prolapso retal
  • hemorroidas de terceiro grau
  • anomalias congênitas do ano-reto
  • demência/dificuldades de aprendizagem
  • radioterapia pélvica
  • diabetes mellitus
  • doença neurológica central
Full details

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • exame físico associado a endoscopia
Full details

Investigations to consider

  • manometria anorretal
  • ultrassonografia endoanal
  • ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) endoanal
  • exame de latência motora do nervo pudendo
  • proctografia
  • coprocultura
  • biópsia retal
  • Hemograma completo
  • proteína C-reativa
Full details

Emerging tests

  • ultrassonografia transvaginal/transperineal

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

sintomático, mas causa indeterminada

sintomático com afecção contribuinte

ACUTE

constipação com transbordamento

dano na medula espinhal ou distúrbio intestinal neurogênico

deficiência do esfíncter externo

disfunção no esfíncter interno

complexo do esfíncter intacto

ONGOING

incontinência grave refratária a outros tratamentos

Contributors

Authors

Steven Brown, MBChB, BmedSci, FRCS, MD

Consultant Surgeon

Department of Surgery

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Sheffield

UK

Disclosures

SB is an author of a reference cited in this topic.

Peer reviewers

Andrew Miller, MD

Consultant Colorectal/General Surgeon

Leicester Royal Infirmary

Leicester

UK

Disclosures

AM declares that he has no competing interests.

Steven Wexner, MD, FACS, FRCS, FRCS Ed, FASCRS, FAC

Chief of Staff

Chairman

Department of Colorectal Surgery

Cleveland Clinic

Weston

FL

Disclosures

SW was a member of the Scientific advisory board, has received honoraria, and is a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline.

David Hackam, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

PA

Disclosures

DH declares that he has no competing interests.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Faecal incontinence in adults: management. Jun 2007 [internet publication].Full text

Bordeianou LG, ​Thorsen AJ, Keller DS, et al. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons clinical practice guidelines for the management of fecal incontinence. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 2023 May;66(5):647-61.Full text

Arasaradnam RP, Brown S, Forbes A, et al. Guidelines for the investigation of chronic diarrhoea in adults: British Society of Gastroenterology, 3rd edition. Gut. 2018 Aug;67(8):1380-99.Full text  Abstract

Thaha MA, Abukar AA, Thin NN, et al. Sacral nerve stimulation for faecal incontinence and constipation in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Aug 24;(8):CD004464.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
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