Authors: Alaradi O, Barkin JS.

Institution: Division of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine/Mount Sinai Medical Center, University of Miami, Miami, Fla., USA.

Summary: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) comprises a major proportion of gastrointestinal and primary care practice worldwide. The past several years have seen the rapid evolution of a new and comprehensive model of IBS based on alterations in brain-gut interactions. Alterations in the bidirectional communication between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBS…

Abdominal pain or discomfort associated with chronic altered bowel habits are the mainstay in diagnosis, while the supportive criteria may be used to further classify IBS patients into diarrhea-predominant or constipation-predominant subgroups.

Minimal diagnostic tests have been advocated in the initial diagnostic approach to patients with suspected IBS, depending on the predominant symptom. The therapeutic goals in IBS must focus on the overall well-being of the patient, including abdominal symptoms and the accompanying nonbowel symptoms and affective disorders…

Study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12116690&query_hl=20&itool=pubmed_docsum

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Update on Pathogenesis and Management
• Patients With Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) May Have Elevated Serotonin Concentrations in Colonic Mucosa as Compared With Diarrhea-Predominant Patients and Subjects with Normal Bowel Habits
• Abnormalities of 5-Hydroxytryptamine Metabolism in Irritable Bowel Syndrome