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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

An Intravital Microscopy-Based Approach to Assess Intestinal Permeability and Epithelial Cell Shedding Performance
Published on: December 3, 2020
Incontinence induces stratum corneum vulnerability and impairs the skin barrier function in the perianal region
Gojiro Nakagami1, Hiromi Sanada, Atsuko Kitagawa
1Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. gojiron-tky@umin.ac.jp
Background:
Incontinence leads to a reduced skin barrier function, while also increasing the risk of skin breakdown.
Aim:
To investigate the perianal skin barrier function of elderly patients with or without incontinence.
Methods:
We compared the skin barrier function by investigating the skin hydration, the skin pH, the amount of ceramide and by making a dermatological skin inspection of the perianal region in patients with and without incontinence.
Results:
Twenty-one incontinent patients (70.0%) showed a glossy skin, which indicates impairment of the skin barrier while none of the patients in the continence group did so. In the incontinence group, those who had a glossy skin showed a significantly greater skin pH and total amount of ceramide than those with a normal skin (p = 0.0099, p = 0.0179, respectively).
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that a glossy skin may be a useful indicator of a reduced perianal skin barrier function.
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