[Anal incontinence].
Anal incontinence today is more frequent than current estimates indicate. When a patient seeks care for this condition, its cause and severity are assessed by a careful history and clinical examination. Two essential atraumatic examinations are decision-support tools: transrectal ultrasound and anal manometry. Treatment should always be proposed. Surgery is necessary in some cases: obvious rupture of the external sphincter, if possible confirmed by transrectal ultrasound, should be directly repaired. Should this treatment fail, a repeated repair or a sphincter replacement (graciloplasty or artificial sphincter) is called for. Neuromodulation therapy is often indicated in the absence of obvious rupture, especially in cases of pudendal neuropathy.
Unité de chirurgie colorectale, Clinique universitaire de chirurgie digestive et de l'urgence, Hôpital Albert Michallon, F-38043 Grenoble cedex 9, France. JLFaucheron@chu-grenoble.fr
Jean-Luc
JL
Faucheron
D001003:Anal Canal / Q000196:embryology / Q000293:injuries / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery; D001187:Artificial Organs; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation; D015995:Prevalence; D012421:Rupture / Q000150:complications; D012720:Severity of Illness Index