Diagnosis of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Authors: DOUGLAS A. DROSSMAN
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1979)

Editorial Notes1 March 1979Diagnosis of the Irritable Bowel SyndromeDOUGLAS A. DROSSMAN, M.D.DOUGLAS A. DROSSMAN, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-90-3-431 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe diagnosis of the irritable bowel syndrome can be a formidable task. Because this condition has no pathologic or biochemical markers, the physician may feel compelled to order unnecessary roentgenographic and laboratory studies to establish the diagnosis, when, in fact, such studies serve mainly to exclude other diseases. Thus, investigative efforts reported in the literature have at times been directed toward achieving greater diagnostic accuracy through characterizing and quantifying patient reports.In a useful study by Manning and associates (1), certain symptoms derived from a 15-item questionnaire were shown to differentiate patients with the irritable bowel syndrome from others. Of...References1. MANNINGTHOMPSONHEATONMORRIS AWKA: Towards positive diagnosis of the irritable bowel. Br Med J 2:653-654, 1978 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. CHAUDHARYTRUELOVE NS: Human colonic motility: a comparative study of normal subjects, patients with ulcerative colitis, patients with the irritable colon syndrome. I. Resting patterns of motility. Gastroenterology 40:1 -17, 1961 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. CHAUDHARYTRUELOVE NS: Human colonic motility: a comparative study of normal subjects, patients with ulcerative colitis, patients with the irritable colon syndrome. II. The effect of prostigmine. Gastroenterology 40:18-26, 1961 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. HARVEYREAD RA: Effect of cholecystokinin on colonic motility and symptoms in patients with the irritable-bowel syndrome. Lancet 1:1-3, 1973 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. SULLIVANCOHENSNAPE MSW: Colonic myoelectrical activity in irritable bowel syndrome. Effect of eating and anticholinergics. N Engl J Med 298:878-883, 1978 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. LASSERBONDLEVITT RJM: The role of intestinal gas in functional abdominal pain. N Engl J Med 293:524-526, 1975 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. SNAPECARLSONMATARAZZOCOHEN WGSS: Evidence that abnormal myoelectrical activity produces colonic motor dysfunction in the irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 72:383-387, 1977 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. DROSSMANPOWELLSESSIONS DDJ: Clinical Gastroenterology Conference. The irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 73:811-822, 1977 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. ALMY T: Experimental studies on the irritable colon. Am J Med 10:60-67, 1951 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. RITCHIE J: Pain from distention of the pelvic colon by inflating a balloon in the irritable colon syndrome. Gut 14:125-132, 1973 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. BEECHER H: Pain in men wounded in battle. Ann Surg 125:96-105, 1946 CrossrefGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByDoes Lactose Maldigestion Really Play a Role in the Irritable Bowel?Blastocystis in Humans and Animals: Morphology, Biology, and EpizootiologyAdvances in the understanding and management of the irritable bowel syndromeAssociation between Disturbances in Gastrointestinal Transit and Functional Bowel DiseasePsychosocial Factors in the Irritable Bowel SyndromeThe Value of Non-Invasive Examinations of Patients with Chronic DiarrhoeaSeeking clues for a positive diagnosis of the irritable bowel syndromeIrritable Bowel Syndrome: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and TreatmentA diagnostic score for the irritable bowel syndromeThe Irritable Bowel SyndromeIrritable Bowel SyndromeW. GRANT THOMPSON, M.D., K. W. HEATON, M.D. 1 March 1979Volume 90, Issue 3Page: 431-432KeywordsBiomarkersIrritable bowel syndromeQuestionnairesResearch laboratories Issue Published: 1 March 1979 PDF DownloadLoading ...