Cure8 research brief
Fecal incontinence is a distressing symptom that lowers quality of life and appears linked to active disease in UC. Knowing which patients are at higher risk can help clinicians focus assessment and symptom support.
Patients with ulcerative colitis (particularly total colitis), gastroenterologists, pelvic-floor therapists, and IBD researchers.
This cross-sectional study of 290 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients examined links between disease activity, disease extent (proctitis, left-sided colitis, total colitis), and fecal incontinence (FI).
The researchers defined complete mucosal healing (Mayo endoscopic subscore 0), mucosal healing (subscore 1), and clinical remission from records, and assessed FI severity by patient questionnaire. Overall FI affected 13.8% of patients and severe FI 5.9%.
Complete mucosal healing, mucosal healing, and clinical remission were each independently associated with lower odds of FI and severe FI. Active total colitis—unlike other extents—was independently associated with higher odds of FI and severe FI.
These results suggest that ongoing endoscopic activity, particularly when disease involves the entire colon, is linked with more fecal incontinence in UC. The study is cross-sectional, so it reports associations rather than proven cause-and-effect.
Cross-sectional design means associations only; definitions rely on questionnaires and Mayo endoscopic subscores reported in records. The article is an abstract-level journal report; details of recruitment and confounder control are limited in the abstract.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Conflict statement: Declaration of competing interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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