How well does stool form reflect colonic transit?

Abstract

Watery stools are equated with rapid and hard stools with slow intestinal transit; however, the relation between stool form and transit through specific regions of the gut is not clear cut. In addition, more information is needed on interindividual variability of these measurements. To examine the relations between stool form and gastric emptying, small bowel and colonic transit. Regional gut transit was assessed scintigraphically and segmental colonic transit was also quantified by radio-opaque markers. On two occasions, 32 healthy volunteers (12 men, 20 women) were studied, women during the follicular and luteal phases of menstruation, men twice within a similar four week period. Diets were standardised and stool form was recorded on a seven point scale. Women had significant harder stools; hard stools were correlated significantly with slow transit and loose stools with fast transit through the colon. Stool form could not be related to gastric emptying or small bowel transit.