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Relationship between rectal sensitivity, symptoms intensity and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel
1AP-HP, Hôpital Louis Mourier, Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Colombes, and INSERM, U-792, APHP, CHU Ambroise Paré, Montpellier, France.
Background:
Relationships between pain threshold during rectal distension and both symptoms intensity and alteration in quality of life (QoL) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients have been poorly evaluated.
Aim:
To evaluate relationships between rectal sensitivity, IBS symptom intensity and QoL in a multicentre prospective study.
Methods:
Rectal threshold for moderate pain was measured during rectal distension in IBS patients (Rome II), while IBS symptoms intensity was assessed by a validated questionnaire and QoL by the Functional Digestive Disorder Quality of Life questionnaire.
Results:
Sixty-eight patients (44.2 +/- 12.7 years, 48 women) were included. The mean rectal distending volume for moderate pain was 127 +/- 35 mL while 45 patients (66%) had rectal hypersensitivity (pain threshold <140 mL). Rectal threshold was not significantly related either to overall IBS intensity score (r = -0.66, P = 0.62) or to its different components, or to FDDQL score (r = 0.30, P = 0.14). Among FDDQL domains, only anxiety (r = 0.30, P = 0.01) and coping (r = 0.31, P = 0.009) were significantly related with pain threshold.
Conclusions:
In this study, two-thirds of IBS patients exhibited rectal hypersensitivity. No significant correlation was found between rectal threshold and either symptom intensity or alteration in QoL.
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