Rectal Sensory Threshold for Pain is a Diagnostic Marker of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Functional Abdominal Pain in Children
Received 24 March 2009; received in revised form 11 May 2009; accepted 26 June 2009. published online 05 October 2009.
Refers to article:
Rectal Perceptual Hypersensitivity: A Biomarker for Pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Paul E. Hyman, Javier Monagas
The Journal of Pediatrics
January 2010 (Vol. 156, Issue 1, Pages 5-7) Full Text |
Full-Text PDF (84 KB)
Objective
To evaluate the diagnostic value of the rectal sensory threshold for pain (RSTP) in children and adolescents with chronic abdominal pain.
Study design
Fifty-one patients (25 girls; median age 14.2 years; range 8.4-17.6) with abdominal pain >2 months underwent a series of rectal distensions with an electronic barostat. RSTP and viscerosomatic referrals were assessed. Three months after the barostat, the final diagnosis was documented.
Results
Thirty-five patients had a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) (irritable bowel syndrome or functional abdominal pain), and 16 had an organic disease. RSTP was lower in the FGID group than in the organic disease group (25.4mm Hg vs 37.1mm Hg; P = .0002). At the cutoff of 30mm Hg, the RSTP measurement for the diagnosis of FGID had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 77%. Both groups similarly reported aberrant viscerosomatic projections.
Conclusion
In children, RSTP is a diagnostic marker of irritable bowel syndrome and functional abdominal pain. Viscerosomatic referrals are similar in children with FGID and organic diseases.
ABSTRACT