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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
09:44
Functional Assessment of Intestinal Motility and Gut Wall Inflammation in Rodents: Analyses in a Standardized Model of Intestinal Manipulation
Published on: September 11, 2012
[Rectal barostat in irritable bowel syndrome]
Claudia Defilippi G1, Rodrigo Quera P, Ana María Madrid S
1Laboratorio de Enfermedades Funcionales Digestivas, Sección de Gastroenterología, Departamentode Medicina, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile. deficlau@gmail.com
Revista Medica De Chile
|February 6, 2007
Summary
A rectal barostat is not a useful diagnostic tool for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Visceral hypersensitivity, a common IBS symptom, was not reliably detected by this method in patients with IBS.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neurogastroenterology
- Visceral pain research
Context:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is often associated with visceral hypersensitivity, characterized by lowered sensory thresholds to rectal distention.
- Understanding the diagnostic utility of objective measures for IBS is crucial for clinical practice.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the rectal barostat as a diagnostic tool for IBS.
- To determine if visceral hypersensitivity, a key IBS symptom, differs across IBS subtypes.
Summary:
- A study involving 19 IBS patients and 10 controls used a rectal barostat to assess visceral hypersensitivity, defined as a pain threshold under 38 mmHg.
- The rectal barostat did not reliably identify visceral hypersensitivity in IBS patients; only 26% met the criteria.
- No significant differences in pain thresholds were found between IBS subtypes and controls.
Impact:
- The findings do not support the use of the electronic rectal barostat for diagnosing IBS.
- Further research may be needed to identify reliable objective diagnostic markers for IBS.
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