[Irritated bowel syndrome: what is its real nature?]

The author discusses definition of irritated bowel syndrome (IBS), the history of this problem and terminological issues. Current views of IBS etiology and pathogenesis are presented with special reference to the biopsychosocial concept of this condition. Clinical variants of IBS are described along with its intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms and their classification. Modern methods of laboratory, instrumental, and differential diagnostics of IBS are considered alongside with the "anxiety symptoms" excluding diagnosis of IBS. The review is concluded by the description of methods for psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic treatment of the disease. Much attention is given to the meaning of the term irritated bowel syndrome, impermissibility of "nosologization" of syndromes and impossibility of functional disorders without their morphological equivalent as illustrated by the latest data on the IBS-associated inflammatory process in the colon.