[Definition of what is accepted as "organic" digestive disease and "functional" digestive disease]

The classification of etiopathogenic factors in organic and functional ones, is not enough precise or clear. Whenever an anatomic or biochemical (metabolic, enzymatic or hormonal) cause exists, the disease is called "organic". Psychologic factors can account for "organic" or "functional" manifestations. A digestive disease is said to be functional, when, in spite of present knowledge, no anatomic or biochemical cause is found, whether or not psychologic factors are present. It would be simpler to adopt the multifactorial etiopathogenic concept multiple possible causes acting alone or in combination to produce the disease, because, in the great majority of digestive diseases, organic, functional and psychologic causes coexist.