The prevalence of fecal incontinence in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms was investigated. Although there have been many surveys of the prevalence of faecal incontinence, little information is available on faecal incontinence. Several community-based large-scale studies in the United States have suggested that fecal incontinence is common, with a prevalence ranging from 7% to 15% in community-dwelling women, 18% to 33% in hospitals, and 50% to 70% in nursing homes [1]. In this study, we tried to determine the prevalence of fecal incontinence in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.

From the second week of July 2019 to the fourth week of August 2019, patients who had visited the urology outpatient clinic with lower urinary tract symptoms for 7 weeks are presented with fecal incontinence questionnaire, urinary incontinence questionnaire, and an international prostate symptom score. And then the doctor examined the questionnaire by face-to-face medical examination. Wexner score was used for fecal incontinence questionnaire [2], and ICIQ-UI Short Form was used for urinary incontinence questionnaire. In this study, anal incontinence and fecal incontinence were distinguished. Anal incontinence and fecal incontinence were defined as follows. Anal incontinence is the involuntary loss of faeces and/or flatus and/or mucus. Faecal incontinence is the involuntary loss of faeces [3].

Questionnaires were obtained from 176 adults (male 135, female 41; mean age 69.5 ± 10.3, 50-90). The prevalence of fecal incontinence was 13.7% (24/176) and the prevalence of anal incontinence including gas incontinence was 33.5% (59/176). Excluding 10 patients with spinal cord injury, the prevalence of fecal incontinence was 11.4% (19/166) and the prevalence of anal incontinence was 29.5% (49/166). The prevalence of fecal incontinence in patient with urinary incontinence was 18.0% (11/61) and the prevalence of fecal incontinence in patients without urinary incontinence was 6.7% (7/105). QoL score of fecal incontinence (24/176) was 0.875 and QoL score of gas incontinence (40/176) was 0.075. The prevalence of fecal incontinence in patients with spinal cord injury is 50% (5/10) and the prevalence of anal incontinence in patients with spinal cord injury was 100% (10/10).

The prevalence of fecal incontinence in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms was 13.7% (24/176) and the prevalence was 11.4% (19/166), excluding patient with spinal cord injury.

The prevalence of fecal incontinence is higher in patients with urinary incontinence than without urinary incontinence (18.0% vs 6.7%). Gas incontinence does not interfere with the patient's daily life. Most patients with spinal cord injury have anal incontinence (100%, 10/10), and the prevalence of fecal incontinence is very high (50%, 5/10).

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