Original scientific paper
Impaired Esophageal Function in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Ante Bilić
Dragan Jurčić
Dragan Schwarz
Nikolina Marić
Aleksandar Včev
Marinko Marušić
Maruška Gabrić
Ljubica Špoljarić
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine prevalence of the signs and symptoms related to esophageal dysfunction in irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, and to investigate sensorimotor function impairment based on the esophageal manometry
study, thus to determine the correlation between them. The study included 30 patients with IBS, 14 of them with
diarrhea (IBSd) and 16 with constipation (IBSc) as a predominant discomfort. Control group consisted of 30 healthy
subjects. The patients were included in the study on the basis of the Rome criteria for IBS. In addition to thorough history
and physical examination patient underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and esophageal manometry. The values
of esophageal manometry obtained in healthy subjects served as controls in manometry studies. The patients with IBS
suffered a great number of both colonic and extracolonic signs and symptoms, however, there was no statistically significant
difference in the prevalence of particular symptoms between the two patient subgroups. In comparison with healthy
subjects, the patients suffering from IBS showed pathologically altered values in the majority of parameters of esophageal
motility. Comparison of the two subgroups of IBS patients according to esophageal motility characteristics yielded
differences in only few of them. The results obtained in the study could explain why the patients with IBS quite commonly
complain of the symptoms related to upper gastrointestinal tract, such as heartburn and chest pain of noncardiac
genesis. The results also suggest that the IBS might be associated with considerably more extensive smooth muscle or
innervation changes than presumed before.
Keywords
irritable bowel syndrome; Rome criteria; esophageal motility; esophageal manometry
Hrčak ID:
27062
URI
Publication date:
2.9.2008.
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