ABSTRACT
Fecal incontinence, no matter how mild, can have a devastating effect on the patient’s social life, emotional well being, and self-esteem. Abdominal examination should be performed to identify any intraabdominal pathology which could be responsible for alteration of stool consistency and subsequent incontinence. If the fecal incontinence is caused by constipation, the abdominal examination may reveal a distended colon with a left lower quadrant mass of impacted stool palpable in the sigmoid colon as well as the rectum. The digital rectal examination will also detect the presence of impacted feces in the rectum, and its consistency. Fecal impaction is the most common cause of fecal incontinence in the elderly. The complete physical examination should enable the physician to derive an appropriate plan of treatment for the patient with incontinence. It should be emphasized that the clinical examination is of paramount importance in the evaluation and management of incontinent patients.
