| [ Summary ] |
Recent advances in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) were reviewed. Common symptoms in patients with IBS, such as abdominal pain relieved by defecation, diarrhea, constipation, and postprandial bloating, indicate that disorders of motility are the most prominent features of IBS. Although a number of disturbances in large and small bowel motility have been defined in some studies, the significance of these findings remains unclear. Sensory dysfunction of the gut, most commonly the rectum, is now generally believed to play a critical role in the pathophysiology of IBS. Patients with IBS who are shown to have visceral hypersensitivity may sense normal contractions of the gut abnormally and may therefore cause abdominal symptoms. There is a close association with psychological factors, such as stress, along with the development and persistence of symptoms in IBS patients. Recently, brain-gut interactions have been suggested to be relevant in the pathophysiology of IBS and research in this area is drawing attention to this connection. The possibility of gut inflammation as a factor which can precipitate IBS is also described in this review. |