Encopresis diagnostic criteria

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Diagnostic Criteria

The psychiatric (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for encopresis are:

1. Repeated passage of feces into inappropriate places (e.g., clothing or floor) whether voluntary or unintentional
2. At least one such event a month for at least 3 months
3. Chronological age of at least 4 years (or equivalent developmental level)
4. The behavior is not exclusively due to a physiological effect of a substance (e.g., laxatives) or a general medical condition, except through a mechanism involving constipation.

The DSM-IV recognizes two subtypes: with constipation and overflow incontinence, and without constipation and overflow incontinence. In the subtype with constipation, the feces are usually poorly formed and leakage is continuous, and occurs both during sleep and waking hours. In the type without constipation, the feces are usually well-formed, soiling is intermittent, and feces are usually deposited in a prominent location. This form may be associated with oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder, or may be the consequence of anal insertion.