RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Role of visceral sensitivity in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome
JF Gut
JO Gut
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology
SP i67
OP i71
DO 10.1136/gut.51.suppl_1.i67
VO 51
IS suppl 1
A1 M Delvaux
YR 2002
UL http://gut.bmj.com/content/51/suppl_1/i67.abstract
AB Visceral hypersensitivity has been recognised as a characteristic of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It may be involved in the pathogenesis of abdominal pain/discomfort, and seems to result from the sensitisation of nerve afferent pathways originating from the gastrointestinal tract. From a clinical point of view, hypersensitivity, although frequent, is not a constant finding among patients with IBS and cannot therefore be considered as a diagnostic marker of the condition. The advances made in understanding visceral hypersensitivity in patients with IBS are reviewed: the factors that influence abdominal distension are defined and different therapeutic perspectives are examined.