Premium
Irritable bowel syndrome
Author(s) -
Talley N. J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2006.01217.x
Subject(s) - irritable bowel syndrome , medicine , disease , intensive care medicine , small intestinal bacterial overgrowth , functional gastrointestinal disorder , pathophysiology , gastrointestinal tract , inflammatory bowel disease , gastroenterology
Conceptually, the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been considered a brain‐gut functional disorder, but this paradigm is under serious challenge. There is increasing evidence that organic disease of the gastrointestinal tract can be identified in subsets of patients who fulfil the Rome criteria for IBS. Evidence for subtle inflammatory bowel disease, serotonin dysregulation, bacterial overgrowth and central dysregulation continue to accumulate. The underlying causes of IBS remain to be adequately identified, but postinfectious IBS is a clear‐cut entity. Furthermore, a genetic contribution to IBS also seems likely. Diagnosis continues to be based on the symptom profile and the absence of alarm features. A heightened awareness of coeliac disease masquerading as IBS is becoming accepted. Management remains largely based on symptomatic rather than on disease‐modifying therapy, but this is likely to change in the near future. Here, recent advances in the pathophysiology and management of IBS are considered.