[Quality of life of patients with fecal incontinence]

Using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) we investigated the quality of life in a consecutive series of 35 patients with faceal incontinence compared with patients suffering from haemorrhoidal disease (n = 96), fissure in ano (n = 38) and healthy controls (n = 75). The mean score for the different groups were as follows: incontinence 93 (65% of best possible score of 144), haemorrhoids 120 (83%), fissure 104 (72%) and controls 134 (93%). Incontinent patients had the significantly lowest overall GIQLI.