Abstract
Disorders of the external and/or internal anal sphincter muscles are a major cause of fecal incontinence. External anal sphincter insufficiency is caused by a defect of the muscle or by damage to the pudendal nerve, resulting in atrophy of the external anal sphincter with subsequent weakness. Childbirth is the main cause of fecal incontinence in women. Both the muscle itself as well as the pudendal nerve can be damaged during delivery. The internal anal sphincter can also be damaged in combination with the external anal sphincter when a large rupture of the anal sphincter occurs. Isolated internal anal sphincter defects are mainly caused by anorectal surgery (anal sphincter trauma) (Kamm 1994).
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de Bruijne-Dobben, A.C., Stoker, J. (2008). Endoanal Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In: Imaging Pelvic Floor Disorders. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71968-7_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71968-7_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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