Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in ulcerative colitis in remission

Abstract

The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of a motility disturbance similar to the irritable bowel syndrome was investigated in 98 patients with ulcerative colitis in remission and a similar number of age- sex-matched healthy controls. Thirty-three % of patients compared with 7% of controls fulfilled the criteria for such a syndrome (P < 0.01). Contrary to expectations these symptoms were not confined to patients with distal disease. Other symptoms, such as constipation were also very common in the colitic group (31%).