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Psychogenic causes in children

  • Chapter
Disordered Defaecation

Part of the book series: Developments In Surgery ((DISU,volume 8))

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Abstract

Psychogenic constipation is a type of chronic constipation in children that is frequently associated with faecal soiling. It is considered as a specific entity by most authors [1–4]. The term ‘psychogenic’ may be inappropriate, as the pathogenesis of this type of faecal retention is most likely multifactorial [5–7]. Both physiological and psychological factors have a role in the pathogenesis. The psychological need for conservation of the symptom is not always clearly present and emotional problems may be the consequence as well as the cause of the chronic constipation and soiling. This condition has also been called functional megacolon, non-Hirschsprung’s or pseudo-Hirschsprung’s megarectum, chronic idiopathic constipation and colonic inertia. Other names are anal achalasia, congenital constipation and retentive encopresis. Tobon and Schuster introduced the term idiopathic megacolon since it does not refer to an aetiology when the cause is still unknown [4]. Psychogenic constipation is frequently accompanied by repeated involuntary passage of stool in the clothes, without there being any organic cause. This embarrassing symptom had been referred to as encopresis, faecal soiling or functional incontinence. Much of the confusion in the literature on these terms rests on the fact that they are used in cases with and without constipation [8, 9].

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Authors
  1. G. Coremans
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  2. G. Vantrappen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Rijnsburgerweg 10, 2333 AA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    H. G. Gooszen  & H. O. Ten Cate Hoedemaker  & 

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Rijnsburgerweg 10, 2333 AA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    I. T. Weterman

  3. Department of Surgery, The General Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, B4 6NH, Birmingham, UK

    M. R. B. Keighley

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© 1987 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht

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Coremans, G., Vantrappen, G. (1987). Psychogenic causes in children. In: Gooszen, H.G., Ten Cate Hoedemaker, H.O., Weterman, I.T., Keighley, M.R.B. (eds) Disordered Defaecation. Developments In Surgery, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3335-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3335-4_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7998-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3335-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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