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Can “functional” constipation be considered as a form of enteric neuro‐gliopathy?
Author(s) -
Bassotti Gabrio,
Villanacci Vincenzo
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.21115
Subject(s) - enteric nervous system , functional constipation , constipation , medicine , neuroscience , psychology , gastroenterology
Constipation has been traditionally viewed and classified as a functional or idiopathic disorder. However, evidence has been accumulating that suggests how constipation might be considered as due to abnormalities of the enteric nervous system, since alterations of this system, not evident in conventional histological examination, may be present in these patients. These abnormalities often consist in decrease or loss of the enteric glial cells, a pathological finding present in most types of constipation so far investigated. In this article we will discuss these evidences, and will try to consider constipation no more as a simple functional or idiopathic disorder but as a form of enteric neuro‐gliopathy. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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