Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Edward Zammit
Pathophysiology
The pathogenetic mechanisms of IBS are still poorly
understood. Traditionally, genes, psychosocial factors, changes
in gastrointestinal motility and visceral hypersensitivity were
considered the prime suspects. IBS clearly aggregates within
families and is more common in stressed, anxious and depressed
Keywords patients . Colonic transit time is shorter in patients with
Irritable bowel syndrome, diagnostic criteria, alarm features, diarrhoea and longer than normal in constipation. Patients with
psychological intervention IBS exhibit evidence of altered CNS processing of visceral pain.
Recent studies have implicated factors such as dysregulation
of the brain–gut axis, imbalance in the intestinal microflora,
gastrointestinal infection and chronic gut inflammation.4 All of
these factors are thought to contribute, in one way or the other,
to the general picture.
Factor analysis shows the first three symptoms correlate Supporting symptoms include the following:
well but are not related to 4, 5 and 6.11 4 is more useful in 4. Altered stool frequency (greater than 3 bowel
women, as abdominal bloating is less common in men.12 movements/day or less than 3 bowel movements/week)
5. Altered stool form (lumpy/hard or loose/watery stool)
6. Altered stool passage (straining and/or urgency)
7. Mucorrhoea
8. Abdominal bloating or subjective distention.