​Differential Diagnosis of Anal Incontinence

​Differential Diagnosis of Anal Incontinence
• Traumatic: nerve injured in surgery, spinal cord injury, obstetric trauma, sphincter injury
• Pediatric: congenital, meningocele, myelomeningocele, spina bifida, after corrective surgery for imperforate anus, sexual abuse, encopresis• Obstetrics: pudendal nerve stretched during surgery, Hirschsprung’s disease
• Neurologic: spinal cord lesions, dementia, autonomic neuropathy (e.g., diabetes mellitus [DM])
• Medical: procidentia, inflammatory disease, diarrhea, laxative abuse
• Mass effect: carcinoma of anal canal, carcinoma of rectum, foreign body, fecal impaction, hemorrhoids