2025 ICD-10-CM code F98.1
Encopresis not due to a substance or known physiological condition. This involves the repeated passing of stool (usually involuntarily) into clothing in a child over the age of 4 who has already learned to use a toilet.
Medical necessity must be demonstrated by documenting the impact of encopresis on the child's physical and emotional well-being.This may include impaired social functioning, distress, and potential complications like urinary tract infections or skin irritation.
Diagnosis and treatment of encopresis are typically managed by pediatricians, gastroenterologists, or in some cases, mental health professionals if there is an underlying psychological component.
- Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01-F99)
- Behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence (F90-F98)
In simple words: Encopresis, also known as soiling, is when a child who is old enough to be potty-trained poops their pants or in bed. This happens even when there isn't a medical reason for it.
Encopresis not due to a substance or known physiological condition refers to a disorder in which a patient beyond the age at which they should be toilet-trained passes stools in their clothing or the bed. This is unexplained by a known medical or physical condition or substance such as a drug.It may be described as psychogenic (due to mental or emotional disorder or trauma), nonorganic (not due to drugs or other substances, physical deformity, or medical condition such as diabetes, infection), or functional (unexplained by a neurological condition in a patient beyond the age of being toilet-trained). Encopresis may be due to chronic constipation, painful defecation, low-fiber diet, too little water intake, distractions, divorce of parents, dietary changes, anxiety, or depression. When the cause cannot be determined, it is considered idiopathic (unexplained) or psychological. Encopresis is considered normal until age 4 or at least until the patient can be expected to be toilet-trained.
Example 1: A 5-year-old child, fully toilet-trained for a year, begins soiling their underwear regularly, despite no changes in diet or routine. Physical examination reveals constipation, and the child is diagnosed with F98.1, with treatment focusing on resolving the constipation., A 6-year-old child has never been fully toilet trained and experiences regular fecal soiling. Following medical evaluation ruling out any physical causes, F98.1 is diagnosed, prompting behavioral interventions and toilet training strategies., An 8-year-old child who was previously toilet trained starts soiling their pants after a stressful family event (e.g. divorce of parents). After ruling out physical causes, the pediatrician diagnoses F98.1, recognizing the emotional stress as a contributing factor and recommending counseling alongside management of potential constipation.
Documentation should include age of onset, frequency and consistency of soiling events, toilet training history, dietary habits, presence of constipation, any associated symptoms (abdominal pain, loss of appetite), family history, and psychosocial factors. A thorough physical exam and possibly further investigations (abdominal X-ray) might be needed to rule out other medical conditions.
- Specialties:Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, Psychology
- Place of Service:Office, Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital