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Chronic constipation in children: organic disorders are a major cause.

Southwell BR, King SK, Hutson JM

Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Diagnostic tools for paediatric chronic constipation have been limited, leading to over 90% of patients with treatment-resistant constipation being diagnosed with chronic idiopathic constipation, with no discernible organic cause. Work in our institution suggests that a number of children with intractable symptoms actually have slow colonic transit leading to slow transit constipation. This paper reviews recent data suggesting that a significant number of the children with chronic treatment-resistant constipation may have organic causes (slow colonic transit and outlet obstruction) and suggests new approaches to the management of children with chronic treatment-resistant constipation.

Published 26 January 2005 in J Paediatr Child Health, 41(1): 1-15.
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