Idiopathic constipation: any movement?

Abstract

Severe constipation now attracts considerable research interest. As a consequence, there have been recent advances in most aspects of this disorder. The epidemiology of this condition is now better appreciated, and subgroups of patients with different epidemiologies, symptom complexes, aetiologies, and treatments can now be distinguished. Radioisotopes enable detailed transit studies to be obtained of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Careful psychologic evaluation is an essential part of the evaluation. In young women with severe idiopathic constipation there is a decrease in propulsive mass movements, and specific colonic neurotransmitter abnormalities have been identified. Biofeedback th..