Encopresis

DEFINITION

• Encopresis is the repeated passage of stool in inappropriate places by children four years of age or older.
  • Examples of inappropriate places include in clothes, on the floor, or in bed.
  • There are two major subtypes:
    • With constipation and overflow incontinence (retentive, most common)
    • Without constipation and overflow incontinence (non-retentive, often behavioral or psychiatric)
• Encopresis is classified under the Elimination Disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5)[1].